Police chases very often end in tragic results. Our Atlanta attorneys have handled many such cases in Georgia which have resulted in the loss of innocent lives while law enforcement officers chased suspects for minor offenses.
Despite the carnage which these chases cause and the pain and grief inflicted upon innocent victims, lawmakers continue to make it more difficult for innocent victims to receive compensation for losses. These restrictions also have the effect of making it easier for law enforcement officers to engage in dangerous chases knowing that they will not be held responsible for reckless actions.
In fact, these chases have become TV entertainment with the advent of cameras in law enforcement cruisers. These TV shows almost always show dangerous chases in which the criminals are caught. What they do not show are the many chases which result in death and injury to innocent victims.
California is known for the frequency of law enforcement chases. This morning, the Los Angeles Times is reporting the death of an innocent 6 year old child as the result of a chase. Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck called the death of a 6-year-old girl who was pinned against a wall at the end of a short police pursuit “an extremely tragic incident.”
The accident occurred Thursday evening at the end of a two-minute pursuit by the Los Angeles Police Department. The car police were chasing turned onto a residential street and slammed into the girl as she was playing with other children near her home.
In the neighborhood, residents questioned why the police engaged in a pursuit on a relatively narrow residential street where it is well known that kids often play.
These are the same questions which lawmakers and policy makers within law enforcement need to asking themselves. Unfortunately, these questions will not be asked until it is too late for innocent citizens.
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