The Racial Justice Network (RJN) called for a ban on high-speed chases by law enforcement. They released a statement following several cases of stolen cars being involved in chases in the Twin Cities. The statement references a fatal crash following five teenagers stealing a vehicle and being pursued into Northeast Minneapolis from Robbinsdale.
They also demand that officers involved in high-speed crashes be prosecuted. The RJN said, “Property can always be replaced; human lives cannot. We demand the elimination of high-speed police chases in the state of Minnesota. Lastly, we implore the mayors, police chiefs and prosecutors to fire and prosecute all officers whose reckless behavior during police pursuits lead to stolen lives.”
The vehicle, with five individuals inside, crashed into a tree and split in half, killing two of the juveniles involved. The statement from the RJN said, “There are many unanswered questions, including which police departments were involved, the names of the officer(s) involved, the speed at which the officers were driving, and the alternatives used to address the situation prior to the initiation of a high-speed chase.”
The RJN went on to state, “There is no justification for these dangerous police chases that too-often result in people being killed, and without due process under law.” The press release said, “We, the members of the Racial Justice Network, believe that all people are innocent until proven guilty, and being found guilty should not result in a death sentence.”
Their press release also cited five other instances within the last 14 months where individuals have died in high-speed police chases in Minnesota.
While the Minneapolis Police Department did not immediately respond to The Minnesota Sun’s request for comment regarding policies surrounding high-speed chases, the state of Minnesota does have guidelines for officers.
The guidelines read that police pursuits may take place as long as the risk does not outweigh the benefit, and that “terminating a pursuit shall be considered a decision made in the interest of public safety.”
Officers involved in police pursuits are supposed to make considerations such as, “is the need to immediately apprehend the suspect more important than the risk created by the pursuit” and “do the dangers created by the pursuit exceed the danger posed by allowing the perpetrator to escape.”
The RJN is demanding that Gov. Tim Walz (D), Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and Robbinsdale Mayor Bill Blonigan “intervene and call for an end to high speed police chases in Minnesota and to hold police officers accountable for this dangerous and unnecessary behavior.”
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Hayley Feland is a reporter with The Minnesota Sun and The Wisconsin Daily Star | Star News Network. Follow Hayley on Twitter or like her Facebook page. Send news tips to [email protected].
