Lane splitting and other things wrong

[argonsagas]

This rider, who was a suspect in the shooting of a police officer, had a wild ride, splitting lanes many dozens of times at 120-140mph, and using the medians as well, with his top speeds coming just under 160mph, according to the on-screen speedometer .

After all that he was taken out at the relatively slow speed of 70mph.


As an aside, it always amazes me that US police so often assign an utterly insane number of vehicles to a single-vehicle chase.
I did not do an actual count, but it looks like at least twenty police vehicles were on scene within moments after the rider was stopped.

Obviously they had to be moving at high speeds in order to be there that quickly, so a question: how much danger did THEY create for other motorists?

https://us.yahoo.com/news/articles/motorcyclist-wanted-connection-deputys-killing-052956053.html

[GS1150Pilot]

When I worked for the sheriff's department, we were forbidden to go over 25 over the speed limit in a pursuit. They invented helicopters, radio and roadspikes for that.

[Big Block]

If he killed a peace officer, then whatever it takes.

[argonsagas]

If he killed a peace officer, then whatever it takes.

Perhaps you missed this line above

" it always amazes me that US police so often assign an utterly insane number of vehicles to a single-vehicle chase. "

It has happened so often, over so many years, and is done for the lamest of excuses........WHY?

A phalanx of fifteen to twenty, or even more vehicles moving through normal traffic at high speeds is beyond any doubt or question the most dangerous thing that can happen on any roadway......

I truly cannot comprehend why because if you really believe that fifteen or twenty chase vehicles can be justified for any reason at all, then YOU are the biggest problem on our roads today. .

In this instance, they were not all that far behind the guy who had been running at 120 and hitting OVER 150 miles per hour........

[Big Block]

I think it's pretty obvious? Criminals watch TV and youtube too.

[trevor]

Police...."We chase the vehicle for public safety".....yeah, sure

[salty_monk]

Quite often see 3 cop cars parked up with lights on, 2 kids & a skateboard on the side of the road......

To be honest if it was any of us personally who needed them, you'd want them to send the 20 cars I suppose! The other side of this is that they mandate "no follow" and then they get even more brazen (that's what happened in the UK with purse snatching from scooters/e bikes etc). Sometimes the cops have a thankless job.....

[argonsagas]

I admit to being amazed a the widespread refusal to think rationally on the subject of police chases.
If a person riding/driving a single vehicle is a menace to other users of the road, does itnot make undeniable sense that adding fifteen or more vehicles to the mix instantly and unavoidably creates risks FAR, FAR beyond anything that single rider/driver could possibly do?

When you increase the number of chase vehicles there is the obvious numerically higher risk, but a very stark reality is that when you increase the number of vehicles, running through traffic at very high speeds on any road, at any time, the risks to every user of that roadway rise exponentially.

Unfortunately, even though you search for justification, the perceivable benefits of engaging in such an extremely dangerous exercise remain invisible

[dgates1]

The "visibility" is the public knowing that a dangerous person is taken in to custody before they can cause more harm. Do the ends justify the means... probably not. I'm sure they would have caught him at some point. But then you have to explain "the person he carjacked" or "the hostage situation" that might have been avoided... it's hard to make these choices when they are all bad outcomes.

I wouldn't want the job of a police officer. Split second decisions are always put under a microscope later by people who didn't have to make them.

[trevor]

You should go look at the new post in the "another shooting" thread...cops make bad decisions more than we know...thank god for body cameras