Too Many Fatalities Caused by Police Chases in Atlanta
What is the value of police chases? How do you balance public safety with the apprehension of suspects? It's time to take a closer look at the offenses for which officers are racing through the streets and highways of Atlanta, sometimes at over 100 mph, to catch a nonviolent suspect. Although there are Georgia laws and guidelines in place to be followed by officers who are in pursuit, they are not applied consistently. There is a big difference between chasing a violent suspect and pursuing someone who ran a red light.
Yesterday, Scott Commander was interviewed by Atlanta WSB TV concerning two women killed as the result of a Clayton County police chase crash and his representation of their family. He stated that similar to the recent New Year's Eve police pursuit crash, the suspect in the Clayton County case was chased by police for a nonviolent traffic offense (impeding the flow of traffic). The Clayton County high speed pursuit ended when the suspect's car crashed into the victims.
