Police rules of pursuit scrutinized in 2 cases

By KATHY JEFCOATS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/27/07

Police chases in Georgia were scrutinized Monday in two places.

In Jonesboro, Clayton County police said no outside agency would be asked to investigate a late Saturday night chase in which a stolen car crashed, killing two teenagers and injuring four others.

Interim Chief Jeff Turner said the incident is not considered "officer-involved" because Lt. W.S. "Scott" Stubbs' car did not make contact with the second car, a 1996 Honda Accord reported stolen hours before.

In Washington, U.S. Supreme Court justices watched a police video of a 2001 Coweta County chase that ended in a crash that paralyzed the pursued driver.

Justice Antonin Scalia called it the "scariest chase I've seen since 'The French Connection,' " referring to the 1971 movie with one of Hollywood's classic police pursuits. "It is frightening," he said of the Georgia video.

Plaintiff Victor Harris is fighting for the right to sue former Coweta sheriff's Deputy Timothy Scott, alleging civil rights violations through the use of deadly force in stopping Harris' car.

The Supreme Court case could help define how aggressive police can become in pursuing suspects. A ruling is expected in July.

Clayton County police said Monday that Stubbs was not overly aggressive in pursuing the Accord. Driver Obi Terrell Zachery Bailey, 17, of College Park and front seat passenger Dave Austin, 17, of Riverdale died at the scene.

Austin's stepfather, Arthur Powell, 38, said Monday afternoon that his family is seeking answers as to what happened. He said he has asked to meet with Turner.

"We're not mad or bashing anyone," Powell said. "We just want to know what happened."

Turner said Stubbs was involved in another chase which resulted in a fatality, but could not remember any details of that case. A search of Atlanta Journal-Constitution databases turned up no record of the other chase.

Turner said Stubbs followed the department's "pursuit continuum," a five-level chart that helps officers and their superiors decide when to pursue a driver and what methods should be used to end the pursuit, based on the seriousness of the incident.

"This started as a level 3 felony," Turner said.

Responses include getting the tag number and description of the car and occupants, activating emergency equipment and trying to stop the driver, trailing the car and boxing it in.

Saturday night's chase didn't last long enough to involve other officers, Turner said. After eight miles and six minutes, the Accord smashed into a grove of trees on Camelot Parkway.

"The officer backed off and was 400 feet behind the car when it crashed," Turner said. "That is another tactic we use, to back off a chase, to get the pursued car to slow down."

Stubbs had just left a part-time security job at a local theater when he saw the Accord being driven without headlights on, Turner said. Before confronting the driver during the traffic stop in the Morrow Home Depot parking lot, Stubbs learned the Accord was stolen.

Turner said Stubbs, rather than approach the car, used his loudspeaker to ask the driver to step out of the car. Instead, the driver took off, Turner said.

Accord rear-seat passengers Jeffrey Winslow, 16, of Jonesboro is in Atlanta Medical Center and Larry Smith, 18, of Jonesboro is in Grady Memorial Hospital, both in stable condition, police said Monday.

Two other rear-seat passengers were Isaiah Troupman, 15, of College Park and Dyja Harper, 14, of Riverdale. They were treated for injuries and released, police said.

Stubbs is taking the week off for a vacation he'd already scheduled, Turner said, so the officer will not be placed on administrative leave.

Another fatal police chase occurred last Thursday, when state troopers chased a car from Cherokee into Bartow County. Troopers bumped the car in an attempt to stop the chase, and the fleeing car wrecked, killing a man and a woman inside.

The Associated Press

www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/clayton/stories/2007/02/27/0227chases.html

you must be  JIA's troll account (I figured it out)

Hmmm, nothing wrong that I can see.  Imagine that

I read this 4 times.

I don't see "Death by LEO"

I see death by stupidity and criminal actions.

Utilizing the PIT manuever is excessive force to stop a pursuit? What is next, tackling people in foot chases is going to be excessive force also?

The pussification of America is disheartening, I hope the pendulm swings back the other way soon or we as a society are screwed.

Wait I know that should have backed off and gone the civil DL revoke route right

What a crappy troll. clean_cut did a much better job.

Don't run from the popo and your chances of getting hurt goes way down.

Man understands words, but can't understand sentences...................

"We're not mad or bashing anyone," Powell said. "We just want to know what happened."

Your kid was riding in a stolen car that fled the police.

Anything else I can help you with?

Stop! Stop! Stop or I shall yell Stop again!


If you run, the consequences are yours to bear.

Quoted: What a crappy troll. clean_cut did a much better job.

At least he's predictable.



ETA: Still trying to find out how the LEO caused his death....Better luck next time, banthony1

How is this the officers fault?


Stolen car... ran from police... crashed and died... Miller time.

I can't find a reason why we should care in this article.

Stubbs is taking the week off for a vacation he'd already scheduled, Turner said, so the officer will not be placed on administrative leave.

Poor guy.  He could have gotten a free paid vacation if it wasn't for his unlucky timing.  That's the only bad thing I see in this story.z

I wonder if this one will end the same as the San Francisco thread.

I must have missed the part in the article that explains how the Officer forced the suspect's foot down on the gas pedal of the stolen vehicle.......

The end game for all of these fuckwits that sue departments for pursuits and for stopping people using criminal profiling is to get the police to not do their jobs.

And in many large cities it has worked.  Why pursue the possibly armed 14 year old black kid in a stolen vehicle when you know odds are if he gets hurt your ass will be in the sling and city taxpayers will be out 2million?

Quoted: img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/ZakkWylde470/Funnies/TrollBGon-vi.jpg

Still trying to figure out when stupid people kill themselves how it is the LEOs fault.

I fail to see how an idiot driving into trees at a high rate of speed is the cops fault.

Quoted: I fail to see how an idiot driving into trees at a high rate of speed is the cops fault.

Maybe back when the cop was a Boy Scout, he planted that tree.