Editing Car chase (section)

== Police involvement ==
[[File:California Highway Patrol ending pursuit with PIT on I-80.jpg|thumb|[[California Highway Patrol]] cruisers ending a pursuit using a [[PIT maneuver]]]]
Car chases occur when a suspect attempts to use a [[vehicle]] to escape from law enforcement attempting to detain or arrest them. The assumed [[offence (law)|offence]] committed may range from [[misdemeanour|misdemeanor]]s such as [[Moving violation|traffic infraction]]s to felonies as serious as [[murder]]. When suspects realize they have been spotted by law enforcement, they attempt to lose their pursuer by driving away, usually at high speed. Generally, suspects who police spot committing crimes for which long prison terms are likely upon conviction are much more likely to start car chases.

Police use a number of techniques to end chases, such as ordering the driver to pull over, waiting for the driver's vehicle to crash, overheat, or run out of fuel. More forceful methods include boxing in the vehicle with cruisers, ramming the vehicle, conducting a [[PIT maneuver]], or using [[spike strip]]s. All efforts, many of which pose risk to all involved as well as bystanders, will be aimed at avoiding danger to civilians. When available, [[police aircraft]] may be deployed, which may follow the vehicle from above while ground units may or may not be involved.

=== History ===
The use of automobiles to evade law enforcement has existed for about as long as the automobile itself; newspaper reports of police chases involving automobiles and motorcycles date back to the 1900s and 1910s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-08 |title=L.A. has been enthralled by car chases for about as long as we've had cars on roads |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-11-08/l-a-has-been-enthralled-by-car-chases-for-about-as-long-as-weve-had-cars-on-roads |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=archives |first=the Post-Dispatch |date=2022-08-18 |title=1906: Skidoodling along during the first high-speed police chase in Forest Park |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/archives/1906-skidoodling-along-during-the-first-high-speed-police-chase-in-forest-park/article_22d07e2e-e0fc-11ea-b13d-ff337a1531d2.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=STLtoday.com |language=en}}</ref> During [[Prohibition in the United States]], bootleggers and [[moonshine]] runners often engaged in high-speed chases with police. This led to rise of car modifications intended to outrun the law and auto-racing exhibitions between runners which helped form the sport of [[stock car racing]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Iowa's Prohibition Years, 1920-1933 {{!}} Iowa PBS |url=http://www.iowapbs.org/iowapathways/mypath/2586/iowas-prohibition-years-1920-1933 |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=www.iowapbs.org |language=en}}</ref>

As police forces became more accustomed to chases, they began to adopt police protocol, techniques, and technologies intended to help pursuits more quickly and safely, such as the PIT maneuver in the 1980s and spike strips in the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McMahon |first=Gregory R. |date=September 1, 2012 |title=Bulletin Alert Deployment of Spike Strips |url=https://leb.fbi.gov/bulletin-highlights/additional-highlights/bulletin-alert-deployment-of-spike-strips |access-date=2024-05-09 |website=leb.fbi.gov |publisher=FBI LAW ENFORCEMENT BULLETIN}}</ref>

Since the 2010s, as the dangers of car chases become apparent, police have tested various alternative methods of tracking fleeing suspects without continuing to pursue them such as [[StarChase]]'s [[GPS]] [[Tracking system|trackers]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-11 |title=A dart-like device may help Minnesota police prevent dangerous car chases |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minnesota-police-starchase-dart-device-car-chases/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=CBS News |language=en-US}}</ref> or the Grappler [[bullbar]] with a tire-catching net.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-20 |title=Grappler: What you need to know about a technology being used to end police pursuits |url=https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/grappler-what-you-need-to-know-about-a-technology-that-is-being-used-to-stop-police-pursuits |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=FOX 10 Phoenix |language=en-US}}</ref> Alternatively, some strategies have centered around simply not pursuing suspect vehicles and instead relying on using [[vehicle registration]] to identify the suspect and apprehend them later, though this is ineffective with stolen vehicles.

=== Media coverage ===
The earliest police chase known to be recorded on video in its entirety occurred in May 1988 in [[Berea, Ohio]], when a police officer with a [[video camera]] mounted in his cruiser recorded the pursuit of a fleeing suspect vehicle, from the initial attempts to stop the suspect's car to their eventual arrest.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.military.com/video/law-enforcement/police/first-ever-recorded-police-chase/1918271434001| title=First Ever Recorded Police Chase| date=22 October 2012}}</ref>

On January 3, 1992, a lengthy pursuit in [[Southern California]], involving a [[Volkswagen Cabriolet]] stolen by a suspected murderer, Darren Michael Stroh,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Malnic |first=Eric |last2=Dizon |first2=Lily |date=1992-01-04 |title=Murder Suspect Slain After 300-Mile Pursuit |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-01-04-mn-1258-story.html |access-date=2024-09-23 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> who was eventually killed by California Highway Patrol officers in a [[shootout]], became the first police chase to be broadcast live on television, airing on three channels and preempting daytime programs on the station.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Malnic |first1=Eric |last2=Lait |first2=Matt |date=1992-01-04 |title=Gunman Is Shot, Killed After Chase : Crime: The murder suspect driving a stolen car leads police on a 300-mile pursuit that ends in Westminster. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-01-04-mn-1295-story.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> The chase was reportedly so popular that, when one station switched to a [[rerun]] of [[Matlock (1986 TV series)|''Matlock'']], several viewers called in to complain and request they continue airing the chase. This convinced stations to show further live coverage of police pursuits.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Needham |first1=John |last2=Dubin |first2=Zan |date=1992-01-04 |title=Real-Life Drama Preempts Afternoon TV Shows : Media: Viewers are riveted as L.A. stations bump soap operas and reruns to broadcast the pursuit live. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-01-04-mn-1296-story.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Weinstein |first=Steve |date=1992-03-10 |title=TV Car Chases--Pursuing News or Higher Ratings? : Television: Live coverage of pursuits is the latest trend in local news, but some critics say the coverage is not always newsworthy. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-03-10-ca-3524-story.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2002, 700 pursuits were reported in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{cite news |date=2003-02-28 |title=Los Angeles urges media to curb coverage of police chases |url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/02/27/1046064169270.html?oneclick=true |work=The Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref> In 2003, Los Angeles television station [[KCAL-TV|KCAL]] reported a quadrupling of ratings when police pursuits aired.<ref>{{citation |mode=cs1 |last=Kine |first=Starlee |url=http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/248/transcript |section=If It Drives, Go Live |type=Transcript |title=Like It or Not |publisher=This American Life |date=24 October 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120508125649/http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/248/transcript |archive-date=2012-05-08}}</ref> That same year, the [[Los Angeles Police Department]] asked news media to reduce coverage of chases, claiming that coverage encourages suspects to flee and may potentially endanger viewers who attempt to view the chase in person.<ref>{{cite news|title=Top Cops Pan TV Car Chase Coverage|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-27-me-pursuit27-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=February 27, 2003|first1=Jill|last1=Leovy|first2=Greg|last2=Braxton}}</ref>

[[Reality television]] has combined with the car chase genre in a number of television shows and specials such as ''[[World's Wildest Police Videos]]'', ''[[Most Shocking]]'', and ''[[Real TV]]'' which often feature real footage of car chases involving suspects fleeing police.<ref name="LA" /> In addition, videos and livestreams of car chases are popular content on social media.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-25 |title=Column: What I learned from watching a 24-hour police pursuit channel |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-11-25/car-chase-channel-pluto-tv |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

On June 17, 1994, former [[NFL]] running back [[O. J. Simpson]] gained notoriety following national coverage of a low speed chase in his white 1993 [[Ford Bronco]] after the murder of his ex-wife [[Nicole Brown Simpson]] and [[Ron Goldman]] in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-06-17/28-years-later-the-o-j-simpson-police-chase#:~:text=On%20June%2017%2C%201994%2C%20two,at%2011%20a.m.%20that%20day | title=28 years ago today: The O.J. Simpson police chase that captivated L.A. And the nation | website=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=17 June 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.autoevolution.com/news/whatever-happened-to-the-infamous-1993-oj-simpson-ford-bronco-145986.html | title=Whatever Happened to the Infamous 1993 O.J. Simpson Ford Bronco? | date=13 July 2020 }}</ref>

One notable recorded police chase occurred when an [[M60 tank|M60 Patton]] [[tank]] was stolen by [[Shawn Nelson (criminal)|Shawn Nelson]] from an [[Army National Guard]] [[Arsenal|armory]], on May 17, 1995. Nelson went on a rampage through [[San Diego]], [[California]], with the massive tank crushing multiple civilian vehicles before becoming stuck on a road divider. Police were able to mount the tank and open the hatch, killing the suspect when he would not surrender.

On June 4, 2004, [[welder]] [[Marvin Heemeyer]] went on a rampage in a heavily modified [[bulldozer]] in [[Granby, Colorado]], wrecking 13 buildings including the town hall, the public library, a bank, a concrete batch plant, and a house owned by the town's former mayor, resulting in over $7&nbsp;million in damage. The police were initially powerless, as none of their weapons could penetrate the suspect's vehicle. However, the bulldozer's engine failed and the machine became stuck, so Heemeyer committed suicide by gunshot.

On July 27, 2007 in [[Phoenix, Arizona]], [[2007 Phoenix news helicopter collision|two helicopters collided in mid air]] while filming a police pursuit. Both were [[Eurocopter AS350|AS-350 AStar]] news helicopters from the [[KNXV-TV]] and [[KTVK]] news stations.<ref>{{cite news|title=4 Dead As 2 Helicopters Tracking Police Pursuit Collide |date=2007-07-27 |url=http://www.kpho.com/news/13770683/detail.html |work=KPHO-TV |access-date=2007-07-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927030213/http://www.kpho.com/news/13770683/detail.html |archive-date=2007-09-27 }}</ref><ref name="ntsb">[https://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2009/AAR0902.pdf Accident Report 0902] Midair Collision of Electronic News Gathering Helicopters KTVK-TV, Eurocopter AS350B2, N613TV, and U.S. Helicopters, Inc., Eurocopter AS350B2, N215TV Aircraft [[National Transportation Safety Board]]. Accessed 2009-03-09.  [https://web.archive.org/web/20090515021637/http://ntsb.gov/Publictn/2009/AAR0902.pdf Archived] 2009-05-18.</ref> All four occupants of both aircraft were killed.<ref>{{cite news|title=Two helicopters crash while covering chase |date=2007-07-27 |url=http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/stories/KTVKLNews20070727_helicopter-crash.b85476c7.html |work=AZFamily.com |access-date=2007-07-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928002344/http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/stories/KTVKLNews20070727_helicopter-crash.b85476c7.html |archive-date=2007-09-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref> No one on the ground was injured.<ref name="Billeaud">{{cite web|last=Billeaud|first=Jacques|title=2 news helicopters collide, crash in Phoenix park; 4 die|url=http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/193821|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926225944/http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/193821|archive-date=September 26, 2007|access-date=2007-07-28|agency=[[Associated Press]]|work=[[Arizona Daily Star]]}}</ref>

On September 28, 2012, [[Fox News]] aired a live police chase in Arizona which ended in the suspect exiting the vehicle and shooting himself after a short foot chase. Fox News was airing it in a five-second delay instead of a normal ten-second delay, which resulted in the shooting being aired on a live broadcast of the ''[[Fox Report]]''.<ref name="BBCnews">{{cite web |last1=Morgan |first1=James |title=Why America loves a police car chase |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-31387485 |website=[[BBC News]] |publisher=[[BBC]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214152036/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-31387485 |archive-date=February 14, 2015 |date=February 14, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> Fox [[news presenter|anchorman]] [[Shepard Smith]] soon apologized for the broadcast and vowed to never let it happen again.<ref>
{{cite news 
| url = https://www.foxnews.com/us/carjacker-kills-himself-after-high-speed-chase-in-arizona
| access-date = 2012-10-03 
| date = September 28, 2012
|title=Foxnews.com Article: Carjacker kills himself after highspeed chase in Arizona
| publisher = [[Fox News Channel]] 
 }}
</ref>

Live news coverage of police chases is widely associated with the United States and with the city of Los Angeles in particular, which is often described by journalists as "the car chase capital of the world."<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=2017-11-28 |title=The High-Speed Car Chases of Los Angeles |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-high-speed-car-chases-of-los-angeles |access-date=2024-02-11 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-02-14 |title=Why America loves a police car chase |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31387485 |access-date=2024-02-11 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-12-15 |title=In a city of freeways and showbiz, live-broadcast cop chases are 'great spectacle' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/in-a-city-of-freeways-and-showbiz-live-broadcast-cop-chases-are-great-spectacle/2021/12/14/44b38882-5a0a-11ec-9a18-a506cf3aa31d_story.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=McPhate |first=Mike |date=2017-04-13 |title=California Today: The Allure of the Los Angeles Car Chase |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/13/us/california-today-the-allure-of-the-los-angeles-car-chase.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2012-09-20 |title=Anatomy of an L.A. Police Pursuit |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-09-20/anatomy-of-an-l-a-police-pursuit |access-date=2024-02-11 |work=Bloomberg.com |language=en}}</ref>

===Risks and legal considerations===
[[File:36th & Aldrich Fatal Car Crash, North Minneapolis.jpg|thumb|The aftermath of a fatal collision between a suspect and another vehicle following a pursuit in [[Minneapolis]], [[Minnesota]] in 2019]]
High-speed car chases are recognized as a [[road safety]] problem, as vehicles not involved in the pursuit, [[pedestrian]]s or [[street furniture]] may be hit by the elusive driver, who will often violate a number of traffic laws, often repeatedly, in their attempt to escape, or by the pursuing police cars. In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that 40 people a year are killed in road traffic incidents involving police, most as a result of a police pursuit.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/news/pr180907_rti.htm |title=IPCC publishes major study on police road traffic incidents |website=Independent Police Complaints Commission |date=18 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124022341/http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/news/pr180907_rti.htm |archive-date=2009-01-24 |url-status=unfit}}</ref> In the United States, chase-related deaths range between 300 and 400 people per year.<ref name="npr">{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2015/07/23/425598535/even-if-a-car-chase-will-help-police-nab-a-suspect-some-don-t |title=In Hot Pursuit Of Public Safety, Police Consider Fewer Car Chases|author=Bridgit Bowden |date=July 23, 2015 |work=All Things Considered |publisher=NPR |type=Transcript}}</ref>

The February [[2005 Macquarie Fields riots]] occurred in [[Sydney, Australia]] after a local driver crashed a stolen vehicle into a tree, killing his two passengers following a high-speed police pursuit. The death of university student Clea Rose following a police chase in Canberra sparked major recriminations over police pursuit policies.

In 2007, the [[United States Supreme Court]] held in ''[[Scott v. Harris]]'' (550 U.S. 372) that a "police officer's attempt to terminate a dangerous high-speed car chase that threatens the lives of innocent bystanders does not violate the [[Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Fourth Amendment]], even when it places the fleeing motorist at risk of serious injury or death."

In most [[common law]] jurisdictions, the [[fireman's rule]] prevents police officers injured in such pursuits from filing civil lawsuits for monetary damages against the fleeing suspects, because such injuries are supposed to be an inherent risk of the job. Public outrage at such immunity has resulted in statutory exceptions. One example is [[California Civil Code]] Section 1714.9 (enacted 1982), which reinstates liability where the suspect knew or should have known that the police were present.

Policy on what circumstances justify a high-speed pursuit differ by jurisdiction. Some safety advocates want to restrict risky chases to violent felonies.<ref name="npr" /> Another option is to use technology to end or avoid the need for such chases. For example, vehicles can be tracked by aircraft or GPS tagging devices like StarChase, allowing police agencies to reliably intercept suspects using stationary blockades, lower-speed vehicles, or when the vehicle is parked.

A 2023 [[United States Department of Justice]] report recommends that police should only initiate a chase only if a violent crime has been committed and the suspect poses an imminent threat to commit another violent crime due to the dangers posed by high speed pursuits. The report also recommends policies that discourage or prohibit pursuits if the suspect is riding a motorcycle.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-22 |title=New federal report urges police to limit unnecessary pursuits |url=https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/federal-report-urges-police-limit-car-chase-pursuit-seeking-solutions/275-7e9a07d6-8fc3-43f4-9784-f0466d16b72d |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=wcnc.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Inter-jurisdictional pursuits and policy issues===
One particular hazard that is attendant to police pursuits is the problem of multiple law enforcement agencies becoming involved in a car chase that crosses municipal and jurisdictional boundaries. This is often complicated by radio communication incompatibility and policy differences in the various departments involved in a pursuit.

The city of [[Dallas, Texas]] was the first major city in the United States to adopt an "Inter-Jurisdictional Pursuit Policy" to address the problems inherent in car chases that involved more than one law enforcement agency. In August 1984, the Dallas Police Department's Planning and Research Division, under the command of Captain Rick Stone, began crafting a policy that more than twenty (20) local law enforcement agencies could agree to abide by when car chases crossed their borders. The result was a model policy that became the standard for use by police departments around the United States.<ref>"Dallas-area police departments establish policy on pursuits", Dallas Morning News, September 8, 1985.</ref>

In Europe, as many national borders [[Schengen Area|no longer have border stations]] within the [[Schengen Area]], car chases may sometimes cross national boundaries. States often have agreements in place where the police of one state can continue the chase across the national boundary.{{citation needed|date=March 2012}}