A man police say was wanted for aggravated stalking led Sandy Springs officers on a chase along Georgia 400 on Friday. According to police, he took off in a Porsche Cayenne when officers moved to take him into custody. The chase headed north on the highway before officers brought it to an end and took the man into custody.
Officers ended the pursuit with a PIT maneuver, a tactic in which a patrol car nudges a fleeing vehicle to make it spin out and stop. The technique brought the Porsche to a halt before the Northridge exit on Georgia 400. No one was hurt, Sandy Springs police said.
NewsChopper 2 flew over the scene and spotted several patrol cars that had been damaged during the chase. The damaged cruisers were visible with an aerial view near the spot where the chase ended. Police have not said how the cars were damaged or how many were involved.
As of Friday afternoon, investigators still hadn’t identified who the driver was. Sandy Springs police said the case was still developing. That’s still the case aso of Saturday, with additional details forthcoming. The man remained in custody on the same aggravated stalking warrant that prompted the stop, according to WSB-TV.
What Is a PIT Maneuver?
A PIT maneuver, short for precision immobilization technique, is a way for police to end a chase without a long, drawn-out pursuit. An officer pulls alongside the fleeing vehicle and taps its rear corner, which breaks the back tires loose and sends the car into a spin. Done at the right speed, it turns the vehicle sideways and forces it to stop.
Police departments train officers to use the technique because a vehicle that keeps running poses a growing risk to other drivers. The tradeoff is that the contact can damage both cars, which may explain the banged-up patrol vehicles seen at the Georgia 400 scene. Agencies generally weigh the danger of letting a chase continue against the risk of the maneuver itself.
What Does Aggravated Stalking Mean in Georgia?
Aggravated stalking is a felony in Georgia. It’s a step up from the misdemeanor version of the charge. It usually applies when someone follows, watches, or contacts another person in violation of a court order like a protective order, bond condition, or terms of probation. The order is needed in the picture to separate aggravated stalking from ordinary stalking under state law.
Police haven’t released details about who the underlying stalking case involves. They also haven’t explained why he ran or what set off the move to arrest him on Friday. For now, those details, along with any new charges from the chase itself, are likely to surface as Sandy Springs police release more about the case.