There are plenty of reasons why police departments have policies telling officers when to back off a pursuit. If someone is already driving recklessly enough to run from police, adding a high-speed chase into the equation can make things even more dangerous for everyone else on the road.
Hilliard, Ohio, police officers recently found themselves making exactly that decision after locating a stolen vehicle at a Sheetz on Cemetery Road. When the driver decided to make a run for it, officers initially followed but discontinued the pursuit as speeds climbed.
Apparently, the suspect didn’t need police chasing him to get himself into trouble. Officers continued tracking his movements through coordination and strategic positioning, and the driver eventually crashed before ditching the vehicle and taking off on foot.
That didn’t work out much better. Following a brief foot chase, officers apprehended the driver, who police said also had outstanding felony warrants, while a passenger in the vehicle was also charged.
Suspect Crashes Once, Takes off Again and Crashes a Second Time
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In the video posted to Facebook, you can see the officers trying to chase down the vehicle, and even trying to use stop sticks, before it sped off. Unfortunately, at such high speeds, it simply isn’t safe for officers to pursue drivers, especially if there is a risk of hurting innocent drivers.
Of course, the police didn’t have to wait long before the suspect crashed the vehicle, giving the passenger inside a moment to get out. At this point, the passenger was apprehended, but the suspect was able to get his vehicle going, sending the police on another chase.
The suspect eventually crashed again and tried to escape on foot, but he wasn’t nearly as lucky as he had been just minutes before. Unfortunately, additional information about the chase, including the suspect’s name and the charges he was facing, was not disclosed.
It wasn’t officially stated, but judging by the situation, it doesn’t seem as though anyone was injured.
Commenters Roast the Suspect’s Driving Skills
While police praised the teamwork that ultimately brought the situation to an end, commenters couldn’t get past the suspect managing to crash despite officers discontinuing the pursuit. One person summed it up pretty well by writing, “Suspect did all the work for the police.”
Others were considerably less generous about the driver’s abilities. “Not the best driver, huh?” one person joked, while another simply wrote, “He ain’t know how to drive.” Someone else pointed out that the suspect apparently had “2 crashes on the same entrance ramp.”
Then there was the location. After learning that officers initially found the stolen vehicle at a Sheetz, one commenter asked the question apparently on everyone’s mind: “Why does it always go down at a Sheetz?”
Others were more interested in seeing exactly who was behind the wheel, with several people asking police to release the suspect’s name or show their face. Meanwhile, another commenter praised the department for how the situation was handled, writing, “Well done HPD!! Always keeping your community safe!!”