Back to the case that started all this. This is my opinion on this. You can tell me of no situation that warrants a high speed chase and for sure one that ends like this. There is always another day to catch the bad guys. I can only ask in this situation if the cop would have chosen not to chase would there be an issue here.
For the sake of argument, let's say this a-hole just raped yer little 6-7-8 year old girl. This piece of poop has violated YOUR child. Your child will never be the same again. Gone is that innocence yer little girl once had. She will never forget the terror she went through. Ok, cops get a tip on where he is and go to get him for what he done to your little girl. He sees the cops and flees. If you were there, or just had a radio and could talk to the cops that are after him at that moment can you honestly sit here and say that you'd tell 'em, "Hold up guys, you can just catch him later. There's always another day to catch the bad guys.".
Personally, I don't believe in long chases either. I believe in puttin' the fleeing muthafugger in the fuggin' ditch as soon as possible and sorting the rest out at the jail. Runnin' someone all over the damned country and risking lives ain't worth it to me either. At the same time I can't just say to hell with it, we'll get him another day. I wouldn't want to live with the fact that I just let 'em go and they victimized someone else.
I'm all for legislation that makes running from the popo a felony. I'm with you in that too many people are injured or killed in chases, including officers. At the same time I think the laws should also mandate stopping the fleeing felon as soon as possible by any means necessary and pin any liability to the runner's ass, not the cops. I think the runner should be charged with and found guilty of Agg. Assault on an officer for putting him at risk of bodily injury by running at high speeds.
Legislation and laws like this would reduce runners. Not chasin' and sayin' let's get 'em another day will mean everybody runs. How many of you would run without a tag on yer busa and haul ass every fuggin where you go if you knew that no cop would be allowed to chase you and all you had to do was twist on 'er, get up on one, and simply evaporate as you hang 'em a finger with yer left hand? I'd do what the fug I wanted to and just run when they lit me up. If you say you'd always just pull on over knowin' they can't chase if you run you're tellin' a lie.
Keep in mind, most of us here are considered to be the honest, law abiding citizens, not the slugs that get out and burglarize homes and steal bikes. We all pay for our shid, but even we would evaporate when lit up if there were no consequences. Just think about that. You think the slugs would ever stop?
Simply not chasin' is NOT the answer. Simply chasin' isn't either. There's a middle ground somewhere that would minimize risk to innocent people (other than the officers that have to get involved and stop it). Exactly where that middle ground is, I'm not sure. I certainly don't agree with either extreme, though.
