
Thousands of innocent bystanders, passengers killed in high-speed police chases
Nearly half of the 11,500 people killed in police chases since 1979 have been innocent bystanders or passengers in fleeing cars, a USA TODAY analysis shows. Police across the USA are chasing tens of thousands of people each year, usually for traffic violations or minor crimes - often at high speeds and in hazardous conditions. Ref. USAToday
Many states and cities have a chase rule that if the officers think the chase is getting too dangerous they will back off. Many times the offender will keep driving fast and still kill innocents even when they are no longer being chased. Where do you draw the line?
FBI vastly understates police deaths in high-speed chases
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has drastically understated the number of police who have been killed in high-speed chases, counting only 24 deaths since 1980 despite records showing more than 360 officers killed in vehicle pursuits in that time span, a USA TODAY analysis shows. Ref. USAToday