Monday, June 22, 2009

CMPD report: Chase thresholds vary

A new Charlotte-Mecklenburg report details how local police departments have different rules for when to pursue suspect vehicles.

The report, prepared for tonight's Charlotte City Council meeting, comes after Councilman Michael Barnes criticized Concord police for a May 22 pursuit.

The pursuit began as a simple shoplifting call but escalated after an officer saw the alleged thief climb into the back seat of a car full of people where a “violent assault” took place. It started in Concord, but resulted in a fatal collision in Charlotte between the suspect and another vehicle.

The CMPD report shows:

- Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville and Mint Hill require a 'felony dangerous to life' as a condition to initiate a pursuit.

- Concord, the Union County Sheriff and the N.C. State Highway Patrol require that the suspect commit a felony.

- CMPD policy states that officers are authorized to engage and continue in a pursuit only when they have reasonable suspicion to believe the driver or occupant has committed or is attempting to commit a crime dangerous to life - or because of the potential for harm to the public.

Barnes requested an update on pursuit policies during a May 26 meeting. Click here to read the report.

Concord police Chief Merl Hamilton has said his officers acted properly in the high-speed chase.

- Doug Miller

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

So did the tennis shoe thief at Mills Mall committ a felony? Forget the alleged last second assault to cover their ass. This was bogus.

If CMPD sees another out of county cop car abusing the law encroaching into Mecklenburg for any reason how about pulling them over and arresting the sonsofbitches please. We dont need Mayberry Gomer Pyle cops endangering our innocents.

Anonymous said...

It's a felony to flee and elude a police officer, which is what they did when they failed to stop ...

Don't blame the police for the actions of a criminal.

Anonymous said...

So why have restrictions on pursuits? Are all crimes the same? Chase down a bank robbing murderer just like you do a shoplifter?

These cops used poor judgement and its clear they would do the same thing again and cause an innocents death just to catch a shoplifter.

We know there is a serious problem with shoplifters who use that well worn rear escape route but stores need to beef up their own security and nab the punks before they can leave the premises.

Unknown said...

I'm sorry,but the police didn't cause an innocent person's death. The scumbag who fled and eluded police did. He committed an assault in plain view of the officer. If the officer had not persued and the theif had then killed the vehicle occupant who he assaulted later in the day we'd be screaming "Why didn't he pursue and stop the mad man!!"

We have to stop blaming cops for the actions of criminals. It just doesn't make sense.

Anonymous said...

The only reason the little dingy dumpy town of realistically 10k has 60k people is because their high paid lawyers forcibly without consent against their the will of the people annexed all the Charlotte transient spillover bedroom community population on the western side just like they did Bruton Smiths speedway who wanted to be un-annexed after they shut down his dragway. Abuse of NC annexation laws is putting it mild and lets dont forget the whole county used to be part of Mecklenburg anyway before they found gold way back paying off a Raleigh legislator crook to break the tie vote to get it all for themselves while all Charlotte got was a mint.

Their elected small brained inbreds and hired gun tax office have run off all business with their incompetence and arrogance. The speedway could be next. The little idiot mayor already has 2 public streets named for him and were forced to name one for Bruton Smith who is their sole benefactor.

All they can do now is keep annexing Charlotte transient spillover whom they build expensive small schools to entice while jacking up real estate 50% in the depression to pay for it all while 40% are jobless.

The whole city/county and court system is corrupt including the cops who arrogantly chased this shoplifter across county lines causing an innocents death and then exonerating themselves. Better "nip it in the bud" or these Mayberry cops will do it again.