Lil Red Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 we just had an innocent bystander (in a car) killed as the result of a high speed chase here. what are your thoughts on this issue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dairygirl4u2c Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 it'd depend on the factors of the chase, like how busy it is. i know this gives theives an incentive to bolt into heavy traffic, but that's just the way it is. also, empiracle data on how deadly they are and in what conditions would be the only way i'd be satisfied that my opinion is final and best. eg. if they usually almost always catch them even in heavy traffic then it's cool for them to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffpugh Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 (edited) It's tragic that this happened, but the criminal must be caught for the sake of justice: law and order and peace. If every escaping criminal wasn't chased because of the factor of bystanders maybe getting killed, much more problems could arise. Just my two cents. Edited April 23, 2008 by Sacred Music Man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Usually they are supposed to stop chasing if the person starts driving so erratically that it becomes a danger, but it also depends on why they are trying to stop them. If all they have done is speed or run a red light, that is different than if they know they are chasing an armed robber who has already shot someone. Cops have to make really hard decisions in seconds sometimes. I don't know if I could do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paphnutius Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 I have sometimes wondered why cities do not react to high speed chases by creating red lights and stopping traffic in a projected path. If the criminal is bolting through a city, why not create the lest amount of traffic by turning lights red in his/her path? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkwright Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 First, just for clarification, who killed the bystander? Everyone is assuming the criminal, but it may have been the police? Secondly, if your state has a felony murder rule and the reason for the chase was a felony, the criminal will be charged with felony murder along with the previous offense. This person could be locked up for 25-life when he killed someone on accident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scardella Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 I think it really depends on the circumstances... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 (edited) We have had many innocents killed during high speed chases in Minnesota and it just isn't worth it. I think that they could just as easily put out an APB for immediate tracking or jump a helicopter up into the air and let the person go until they stop. Edited April 23, 2008 by Deb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted April 23, 2008 Author Share Posted April 23, 2008 [quote name='rkwright' post='1507241' date='Apr 22 2008, 11:11 PM']First, just for clarification, who killed the bystander? Everyone is assuming the criminal, but it may have been the police? Secondly, if your state has a felony murder rule and the reason for the chase was a felony, the criminal will be charged with felony murder along with the previous offense. This person could be locked up for 25-life when he killed someone on accident.[/quote] +J.M.J.+ the police called off the chase, and the criminals kept going at a high rate of speed. 6 blocks later they hit a nurse in her car on her way to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picchick Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 This is a very sad situation. However, they criminal is running for some reason. There is something deeper than just speeding. I think that it is important for the police to catch them and find out what is going on and why they ran. They could be smuggling drugs, carrying illegal weapons, dangerous to themself, dangerous to others (besides the chase), they could be drunk/high, and the list goes on. What did the criminals in your situation do? I think for the safety of everyone that the police should catch the people. It sounds like it was not the high speed chase that killed the bystander. The police called off the chase before the bystander was hit. Maybe they should have called if off sooner but I wonder if the criminals would still have done what they have done. Meg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kujo Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 This is a stupid question. YES!!! People need to get out of the way. It's a shame that that person died, but it doesn't mean that police should stop chasing a criminal. I mean, think about it: How fast do you have to go to get the police to stop chasing you? Does the time of day matter? Does the site of the chase make a difference? Do highways and interstates counts? Dumb dumb dumb dumb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picchick Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 [quote name='kujo' post='1507730' date='Apr 23 2008, 06:02 PM']This is a stupid question. YES!!! People need to get out of the way. It's a shame that that person died, but it doesn't mean that police should stop chasing a criminal. I mean, think about it: How fast do you have to go to get the police to stop chasing you? Does the time of day matter? Does the site of the chase make a difference? Do highways and interstates counts? Dumb dumb dumb dumb.[/quote] I don't see how this is a stupid question at all...I think that it is one that needs clarification. Criminals do not have lights on the top of their cars a sirens screaming....so...how are people going to get out of the way? I still stand by what I say before but don't got bashing a question. There is never a stupid question in my book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kujo Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 [quote name='picchick' post='1507731' date='Apr 23 2008, 07:05 PM']I don't see how this is a stupid question at all...I think that it is one that needs clarification. Criminals do not have lights on the top of their cars a sirens screaming....so...how are people going to get out of the way? I still stand by what I say before but don't got bashing a question. There is never a stupid question in my book.[/quote] Perhaps stupid was a wrong word. Innane. Useless. Moot-point. Silly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dairygirl4u2c Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 (edited) everything kujo said is Innane. Useless. Moot-point. Silly. regarding the validity of the question. reasonable people can disagree, and it's unreasonable to think otherwise. his premise is that if we allow some to flee, then many would flee. this is true i'd venture to a significant degree. but, if most are fleeing for say robbery and won't kill others... how does that justify allowing an innocent to die? it's too easy to say get out of the way when you don't see it coming etc. also i don't see how one would say... that them fleeing indicates that they must have something that's worth killing an innocent person over. people flee all the time just cause they're scared and then they're fleeing and have to flee cause they are fleeing. it seems that way to me. also, if you did theft or somehting big but not murder, you'd rather flee than all that jail. that answer why'd they'd flee and how it's not worth it to let an innocent die. even if they killed someone, most murderers are not serial murderers, i'd venture. at least, it's an open question only answered with empiracal data. cause the only thing worth allowing innocents to die, is that the cirminal would cause even more innocents to die. theft etc is not a reason to let people die, again. Edited April 24, 2008 by dairygirl4u2c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kujo Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 [quote name='dairygirl4u2c' post='1508073' date='Apr 24 2008, 12:26 AM']everything kujo said is Innane. Useless. Moot-point. Silly. regarding the validity of the question. reasonable people can disagree, and it's unreasonable to think otherwise. his premise is that if we allow some to flee, then many would flee. this is true i'd venture to a significant degree. but, if most are fleeing for say robbery and won't kill others... how does that justify allowing an innocent to die? it's too easy to say get out of the way when you don't see it coming etc. also i don't see how one would say... that them fleeing indicates that they must have something that's worth killing an innocent person over. people flee all the time just cause they're scared and then they're fleeing and have to flee cause they are fleeing. it seems that way to me. also, if you did theft or somehting big but not murder, you'd rather flee than all that jail. that answer why'd they'd flee and how it's not worth it to let an innocent die. even if they killed someone, most murderers are not serial murderers, i'd venture. at least, it's an open question only answered with empiracal data. cause the only thing worth allowing innocents to die, is that the cirminal would cause even more innocents to die. theft etc is not a reason to let people die, again.[/quote] I think you can hardly say that "everything" that I said was moot when you yourself said that my premise was "true...to a significant degree." Anyway, what is the alternative to chasing them down and bringing them to justice? Allowing them to flee and hope that we catch them again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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