The latest car pursuit by a Hamilton County deputy sheriff, almost killing the driver and no doubt endangering innocent lives, is a good reason to stop these pursuits.
The Chattanooga Police does not engage in car pursuits. I assume the CPD will do their best to find the culprits later instead of endangering the public.
My opinion is that these deputies love to drive fast to prove their masculinity and power.
Come on Sheriff Austin, stop these pursuits before a terrible accident occurs again.
Pat Hagan
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I applaud the CPD for their continued efforts to catch crooks. To suggest that women officers that engage in pursuits are wanting to show off their “masculinity” is hilarious.
Oliver Heyer
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Hagan,
I see that you only want criminals to have an easy way out to steal, rob, assault, etc. Just drive away.
But your “solution” of just letting them get away with no pursuit at all has proven to only increase the numbers of the criminals doing the running from police.
Your assumption that CPD does anything productive in later capturing the scum who choose to endanger other people by high speed reckless driving actually happens productively. They are sometimes in stolen vehicles, sometimes in their cars. I don’t care about them killing or hurting themselves in the wrecks. But you don’t want them accountable for their actions. You blame the police, not the criminals.
The only way to stop criminals is to stop them. Running from police over 20 miles over the speed limit should be a felony with a minimum year in prison (no probation or parole) for a first offense. If other crimes are involved, the sentence for running should not be allowed to be concurrent with other sentences, just in addition as consecutive. If the car belongs to the driver, or the driver has legal permission to drive, it should automatically be forfeited. If the vehicle is stolen, that should be an addition charge with a consecutive (not concurrent) sentence. If a second offense happens after prior conviction, the sentence should be raised to a minimum five years and permanent loss of all driving privileges. Third offense, minimum 20 years.
Any injuries to police, passengers or non-involved others should be charged at attempted murder, because that is what it is. The criminals have no consideration and in many cases have intentionally wrecked other vehicles to get away.
And I don’t care if they are adults or juveniles. Stop coddling criminals. Your ideas are just training more to run at high speed and supporting more crime.
And you have shown yourself to be police hating by your comment “these deputies love to drive fast to prove their masculinity and power”. Would it be okay if the deputies are female?
Jim Hill
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Mr. Hagan mentions nothing about female cops involved in pursuits. In fact, I don't recall the story about the recent pursuit mentioning the gender of the cop or cops.
Several years ago the daughter of a Chattanooga policeman was killed in such a pursuit when the chase going in one direction hit her car head-on going in the opposite direction.
My grandson, now 17, who's maternal grandfather is a retired Chattanooga policeman, could have been another victim when he was around three or four? Or five years of age. He spent a lot of time at my house during his earlier years and often played out front in the yard and on the sidewalk. Just so happened he wasn't visiting that day when the suspect being chased from St. Elmo Ave down onto the street I live ran up onto my sidewalk and into my yard. I wasn't home at the time, but when I returned home I could see the imprint of the tire tracks on the sidewalk and in my yard, right where my grandson would have been playing outside that day if he'd been visiting. Some of my neighbors said the chase actually appeared staged. Even then I was openly a critic of many of local police practices.
To understand why some of my neighbors felt that way, you'd have to understand not much of interest happens on the street I've lived for the last nearly 50 years. The most excitement you might see is a mama bird chasing down a squirrel who attempted a home invasion of her nest. Maybe a coyote roaming at night, or hear the cries of baby raccoon that somehow got separated from its mama. But, a police chase? No.
Mr. Hagan is right. Most police chases aren't necessary and are much more about part ego and macho for both the cop and crook? Although there's often been very little distinguishing between the two. Be they carried out by male, female, whomever. Police have also been killed during these chases as well, or severely injured.
Why wait 'til another tragedy happens as the one where the daughter of a Chattanooga policeman was killed? Or the grandchild of a retired Chattanooga police could have been killed, if he'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time on a certain day?
Brenda Washington
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I find this exchange rather ridiculous because police work by its very nature consists of a lot of discretion. If a criminal was kidnapping your favorite grandchild should the police give chase? What if the crook is stealing your beloved pet dog? How about if the crook had just robbed you of your personal effects and taken your wallet and phone from you?
The police have to decide whether to chase or not. Same goes with deciding whether to shoot and kill someone or not, or whether to use physical force and how much physical force.
It's up to the police and God bless them for trying to deal with such. What really gains my ire is when some sorry individual causes problems and brings on the police and then if the police error or get too heavy handed the criminal gets to sue and collect when they started the whole mess.
David Saluk