Safely Stopping Suspect Vehicles Essay

Submitted By blackcat1333
Words: 774
Pages: 4
Open Document
Safely Stopping Suspect Vehicles
Jessica Wright

As rush hour traffic began to get into full swing, three Atlanta teenagers decided to steal a car, and police had to figure out how to stop them. The car went through multiple counties for over 30 minutes, when the police decided to put an end to the chase before someone was seriously injured. A Georgia State Patrol (GSP) Officer implemented the Pursuit Intervention Technique (P.I.T) maneuver, spinning the car and safely apprehending the suspects. This maneuver is accomplished when the pursuit vehicle (typically law enforcement) pulls up next to the suspect vehicle, lining the front tires of the first car with the back tires of the second. Trying to decide when, where and if this is the right thing to do can be quite a challenge.
While the origins of the maneuver seem to be debated, the outcome is not. Captain Travis Yates (2004) stated, “As a trainer, I have conducted hundreds of these maneuvers. I have never seen an injury related to the PIT. I wouldn't be able to say the same for Bumping or Ramming.” Scientific study also shows how the P.I.T. maneuver, when done properly, can safely stop a pursuit without deadly consequences. As part of an article in the Law Enforcement Bulletin (2010), David Schultz surveyed participants in the Law Enforcement In-Service Training in Emergency Vehicle Operations and Police Pursuits course at the Minnesota Highway Safety and Research Center. He noted they used the PIT maneuver 1,018 times that resulted in 35 (.03 percent) injuries and no deaths. All of this shows that using this maneuver can bring a car, and the suspects inside, to a halt, without causing permanent damage or injury.
Knowing this would be a non-lethal option, the officers had to decide if there would be an ideal time and place to put an end to this chase. The article “What is a PIT Maneuver? (n.d.)” defines some of the ideal conditions for the maneuver to take place. “A pit maneuver is most effective on dry roads that are clear of traffic and pedestrians… The maneuver works best at speeds close to 35 miles per hour, and when vehicles are of a similar size and height.” Looking back on the GSP officers, they decided to make their move on a freeway onramp in the afternoon sun. The chase had taken them through several residential neighborhoods and crowded streets, so picking the right time to pull this maneuver was critical. They realized, getting onto the onramp, that this might be the last chance they would have before the suspects were on a crowded freeway; which would greatly increase the chances of an innocent bystander getting hurt.
The teenagers in this case are believed to be part of a group that have been linked to carjackings in six different Georgia counties, so getting them off the streets was imperative. In the end, the Atlanta Journal Constitution (2013) noted, “Troopers pulled three suspects from the car and turned them over to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office. The three were taken into custody at the scene.
Show More

Related Documents: Safely Stopping Suspect Vehicles Essay

Research Paper On Alcohol Abuse

alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in 2009—32% of the total traffic fatalities for the year. That statistic means that someone is killed by a drunk driver almost every 48 minutes. | | | In 2008, 31% of 15- to 20-year-old drivers killed in motor vehicle collisions had been drinking (NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts, Young Drivers, 2008). | | Section: REASONS TO RETHINK DECISION TO DRINK | Apart from being illegal, underage drinking poses a high risk to both the individual and society. For example…

Words 3670 - Pages 15

To Serve and Maybe Protect Essay

pull over in a high­speed auto chase. When the car finally stopped, the two people accompanying King followed directions from police to get out of the vehicle. King hesitated, but when he did get out of the car, he allegedly jumped at the police officers. The policemen “struck him with two darts from a taser stun gun, each with an electric charge of 50,000 volts­­ usually enough to subdue any suspect” (Bornstein 8). In summary, King still failed to listen to the police after being told to lie down. Resulting from this, he suffered fifty­six baton hits and six kicks…

Words 2025 - Pages 9

Managing Information Technology (7th Edition) Essay

CONTENTS: CASE STUDIES CASE STUDY 1 Midsouth Chamber of Commerce (A): The Role of the Operating Manager in Information Systems CASE STUDY I-1 IMT Custom Machine Company, Inc.: Selection of an Information Technology Platform CASE STUDY I-2 VoIP2.biz, Inc.: Deciding on the Next Steps for a VoIP Supplier CASE STUDY I-3 The VoIP Adoption at Butler University CASE STUDY I-4 Supporting Mobile Health Clinics: The Children’s Health Fund of New York City CASE STUDY I-5…

Words 239873 - Pages 960