And Another Lawsuit
- The family of an 11-year-old boy who was killed when a car thief fleeing from police crashed has filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department.
Donovan Turnage’s death on Dec. 21 was an “entirely preventable” tragedy that would have been avoided if police hadn’t given chase on a crowded street in the middle of the day, an attorney for the Turnage family said Monday.
Turnage, a student at Morrill Math and Science School, was thrown from his father’s SUV in Englewood when it was hit at 55th and Halsted by a stolen car that police say was being driven by serial offender Rockie Douglas.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
You might remember this as the offender carjacked three different vehicles at gun point across the city, fled after a crash, and was eventually apprehended in a drive-thru up in Wisconsin. Oh yeah - and he was white.
If we recall, the original call was an on-view armed carjacking. That isn't the sort of call that officers just blow off. If word got around that police won't chase you when you're committing armed carjackings, then you're going to get a shitload more armed carjackings. In fact, based on personal experience and personal knowledge, that's exactly what we've observed happening over the past few years - no fear of a chase leads to.....more fleeing/eluding!
And that's not even getting into the twisted arguments that will arise, "If you chase in the black community, but not in the white community, isn't that (insert racist conspiracy theory here)."
Society in general and the Department specifically, is going to have to come to terms with the fact that criminals flee. If they flee, the police are going to chase. And during a chase, people sometimes get hurt, most times by the person fleeing, who then bears the legal blame (except in narrow cases of deliberate disregard). But who ends up bearing most of the supposed liability? The police and by dint of being the "deep pocket," the city. This is unworkable. We'd rather see the FOP came out with a statement along the lines of...
You might remember this as the offender carjacked three different vehicles at gun point across the city, fled after a crash, and was eventually apprehended in a drive-thru up in Wisconsin. Oh yeah - and he was white.
If we recall, the original call was an on-view armed carjacking. That isn't the sort of call that officers just blow off. If word got around that police won't chase you when you're committing armed carjackings, then you're going to get a shitload more armed carjackings. In fact, based on personal experience and personal knowledge, that's exactly what we've observed happening over the past few years - no fear of a chase leads to.....more fleeing/eluding!
And that's not even getting into the twisted arguments that will arise, "If you chase in the black community, but not in the white community, isn't that (insert racist conspiracy theory here)."
Society in general and the Department specifically, is going to have to come to terms with the fact that criminals flee. If they flee, the police are going to chase. And during a chase, people sometimes get hurt, most times by the person fleeing, who then bears the legal blame (except in narrow cases of deliberate disregard). But who ends up bearing most of the supposed liability? The police and by dint of being the "deep pocket," the city. This is unworkable. We'd rather see the FOP came out with a statement along the lines of...
- "We cannot in good conscience tell our members to chase criminals due to fact that they are placed in unreasonable jeopardy of losing their jobs, their homes and their very freedom should they engage in enforcing the laws of the State of Illinois, Cook County, City of Chicago. Until such time as the state legislature, county board and city council indemnify officers to the degree that good faith actions taken on the part of officers will not jeopardize their livelihood, you're on your own Chicago. Call Rahm, call Preckwindle, call Madigan. And get a gun - you'll need it."
...and let the political shitstorm erupt.
What happened to Donovan Turnage was a tragedy of unspeakable proportion. But to reflexively blame the police for the actions of a criminal is only going to embolden the next criminal. And the next. And the next. It's happening already if you look around.
What happened to Donovan Turnage was a tragedy of unspeakable proportion. But to reflexively blame the police for the actions of a criminal is only going to embolden the next criminal. And the next. And the next. It's happening already if you look around.
Labels: we got nothing
posted by SCC at 12:02 AM
77 Comments:
Donovan Turnage’s death on Dec. 21 was an “entirely preventable” tragedy ......Turnage, a student at Morrill Math and Science School, was thrown from his father’s.
I would question if the child was strapped in. He was thrown from the vehicle. That could have been preventable.
Hope the city/officers saved the interviews of the family on the news just after this happend and how they said they don't blame the police for this and the police were doing what they had to do... I remember that.. Hopefully the lawyer looks at the media archives of this report and sees his own clients supporting the actions of the police that day... It might make a jury think why the change of heart all of a sudden.. Maybe a slick talking and convincing attorney made it all sound too good to be true...
Many chases are unnecessary. This chase wasn't one of those.
That offender had to be stopped. Unfortunately, he lived and the child died. In a more just world the opposite would have happened.
Somebody has got to pay out the ghetto library and the offender has no money.
But the police/City must be blamed. They instituted the high speed chase and they have the deep pockets. Blaming the fleeing carjacker does no good he has no money, and the whole point of the suit is to award the damaged party a large amount of money, and through the damaged party their lawyer a large amount of money for litigating their suit. The only solutions are to not engage in hot pursuit, and require that ALL vehicles have On Star like devices that can instantly shut the engine down.
This is a very important post. This is a big part of the reason why many officers have slowed down in the last decade or so and why crime in Chicago is out of control
"What happened to Donovan Turnage was a tragedy of unspeakable proportion."
Simple truth?
What happened to Donovan Turnage would not have happened had he been properly restrained with a seatbelt as mandated by law.
"Turnage, a student at Morrill Math and Science School, was thrown from his father’s SUV..."
Yep, thrown from Daddy's Expedition because he wasn't wearing a seatbelt. And sorry, but almost never does one get thrown from a vehicle when belted properly.
Just hafta point the finger of blame? Blame the jagoff fleeing the police and blame the jagoff "father" who failed to exercise both common sense and paternal instinct that fateful day.
Add this parenting failure - along with the recurring gaffes of space heater fires, accessibility of guns resulting in 'accidental' shootings, and toddlers wandering the streets in sub-freezing temperatures clad only in socks, t-shirt and shitty diaper - to the laundry list of child-rearing anomalies that seem most prevalent in minority communities.
Enough of the G-ddamned excuses and finger-pointing. Time to assign blame where it's rightly deserved.
Maybe he should've had a seat belt on. Prolly wouldn't have been "thrown" from the vehicle.
Simple, no high speed chase, no dead kid.
OT: Regardless of what you think about how we're handling illegal immigration, am I the only one who, seven years after Elvira Arellano was deported, finds this odd?:
“I want to continue to learn English and find a job, any job,” Arellano said through a translator.
THOUGH A TRANSLATOR? Obviously her desire to “learn English,” isn't a big priority. She would've sold her case so much better, all these years later, had she actually spent some time learning English.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/26402972-418/immigration-activist-arellano-returns-to-chicago.html
rb
I remember working Pullman back in the day. Lots of stolen cars chased by ace car thief detector , Al S. and partner Lisa T.. The department started to limit the length of the chase. Low and behold, Pookie, Ray-Ray, and every other criminal driving a car learned real quick to keep on driving. The result of this policy resulted in a lot more chases.
Prior to the restricted chase policies, your average chase lasted less than a minute as Pookie, Ray-Ray, and the boyz realized they were going to be swarmed with squad cars in a short period of time. The boyz knew they were better off on foot mixing into the hood instead of staying in the hot car.
Because of restricted car chase policies, there are more fatalities. Check the stats.
The truth of the matter is that the family of the deceased want money. They know the shit head can't pay so they go after the next big thing. They want money, not justice. It is unfortunate that criminals flee. Lets not play with words and street lawyer theories that this is the fault of the police. There are citizens out there who were forced to be victims and they want justice. Police do not tell criminals to go killing innocent people. Criminals dictate what an officer can and will do. Do we sue the parole board for letting criminals out who ultimately commit crime during parole? Do we sue the criminals who rob people? Rules are simple. Pull over to the right for lights and sirens. The victim's family want money and the city will give it to them.
Let's try a pilot program. Make a public announcement that the police will not be able to chase. Make it both traffic and on foot. Sadly it just may come to that in cook county. If someone committed a act of crime against me or my family, I'd want the police to hunt that shit head down and bring him to non cook county justice.
Many chases are unnecessary. This chase wasn't one of those.
That offender had to be stopped. Unfortunately, he lived and the child died. In a more just world the opposite would have happened.
3/25/2014 12:35:00 AM
So in your infinite wisdom of all crime you produce this statement: "Many chases are unnecessary." How do you come by this knowledge? Name a few instances.
Find me a chase where the copper just wanted to get a girl's phone number, or was having fun with a citizen and you might convince me. We chase criminals for crimes.
Maybe you are new to the job, or not on the job at all. I can remember chases where we have found victims in the trunk, where we have found recently dropped bodies, where major crimes have been solved. You don't know why they run until you catch them.
Sometimes you have to stop. sometimes you can't. It's the toughest call we make, but we have to at least try.
Anyone else remember when a Mayor said he would fight all the frivolous law suits....and, when the scumbag lawyers saw that he meant it, NO SETTLEMENT, they came practically to a halt, because the ambulance chasers were only wasting their time?
Well???
To the lawyer:
Wow are you a piece of shit. Hope you can spend that money in hell someday, because that's where you're going
The kid is dead a tragedy yes, the kids father. Did not seat belt the kid in, why not try to sue the vehicle manufacturer? Blame them for not building the vehicle with automatic seat belts? More bullshit, another big payday,police are the bad guys. Wonder what kind of rap shit babies daddy has?
I grew up with Rocky, he was always a shithead. That was on him, not you boys in blue. City wants to start saving money (we know spending on data centers and arena's isn't going anywhere) stop settling on lawsuits like this.
Thereby, carry and conceal armed citizen is going to turn out to be the best detterent to armed carjackings!
Evil Police. Why didn't they just shoot out the left front tire and bring the fleeing vehicle to a controlled stop? I've seen this on tv and it always works.
Put a seat belt on your kid fuck nuts. Sue yourself....your to blame.
It might make a jury think why the change of heart all of a sudden.. Maybe a slick talking and convincing attorney made it all sound too good to be true...
3/25/2014 12:30:00 AM
Geez do ya think?
Funny this come out at contract negotiation time
Thank you SCC. Very well said. I just hope someone was listening.
If you commit a crime and can flee police successfully, you should be free to go. If there is a no chase policy-vehicle or on foot-crime will decrease due to the fact it makes it unfair for the bad guys. Crime will simply cease to exist because society will not accept unjust policies...said no one ever!
Enough of the G-ddamned excuses and finger-pointing. Time to assign blame where it's rightly deserved
AMEN.....
the officers were just trying to do their jobs--- they were also risking their lives pursuing this shitbird--- nothing can be done to bring this child back--- I'm sure that the officers involved in this pursuit sat around on their days off and wondered if they could have done something different to prevent what happened--- many of them are probably parents as well--- every officer out there who pursues someone will have to deal with the consequences, either good or bad....
Another example of why it's easier to be a bad guy then a good guy in Illinois/Shitcago/ Crook county.....Wish the Judge would tell them FU the Police were doing their job....file the lawsuit against the asshole and see how far that gets you.....
who is the train operator in C.T.A. crash?
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/25062080/who-is-the-train-operator-behind-the-blue-line-derailment
Can you imagine if a police officer tried to use this excuse being on midnights?
""We're at our lowest point at night time. So, at 2:50 in the morning when this accident happened, it would perhaps be one of the lowest points as their circadian rhythm for alertness. So, the chances of falling asleep at that time are quite high," sleep expert Kathryn Reid said."
Jury ain't buying that for us.
I fart in your general direction said
Add this parenting failure - along with the recurring gaffes of space heater fires, accessibility of guns resulting in 'accidental' shootings, and toddlers wandering the streets in sub-freezing temperatures clad only in socks, t-shirt and shitty diaper - to the laundry list of child-rearing anomalies that seem most prevalent in minority communities.
You called it. Everytime a ghetto fire kills a kid it's cuz there were no working smoke detectors. No cash for a 99 cent battery for the smoke detector but hundreds and hundreds of $$$ for new shoes, hairdos and jewelry. And then what happens the following day? The fire department comes out and hands out new smoke detectors to all of the shithead neighbors. Talk about just continuing the nanny state. I for one am sick of it. "It's a cultural thing you wouldn't understand it". LOL.
Unless they shot a Police Officer, or a member of a Police Officers Family, DO NOT CHASE! Look out for our own period. Give them the Police they want...
The families lawyer want's money. Don't forget he gets a large chunk of any settlement, ant this case will settle outside a court room.
Anonymous said...
Somebody has got to pay out the ghetto library and the offender has no money.
3/25/2014 12:38:00 AM
Don't forget how much the baby meant to baby momma, he was a future rocket scientist and nobel prize winner to boot. City gotta pay. Like suing the USA for slave reparations, the country that lost 600,000 soldiers ending slavery is somehow looked upon to pay reparations. Guv'ment always got to pay. Da' way it is.
Oh, but I was the cold hearted asshole on scene that said to cite the father for no seat belt, would have made a difference in the upcoming suit. But no one ever listens....
Al S. Now that was a copper.
In the past, the police were never responsible for the ultimate harm which resulted from attempts to apprehend a criminal(unless their actions were in total reckless disregard of human life). The concept of felony murder originates in the rule of transferred intent, which is older than the limit of legal memory. In its original form, the malicious intent inherent in the commission of any crime, however trivial, was considered to apply to any consequences of that crime, however unintended.
Some commentators regard this as a legal fiction whereby the law pretends that the person who intended one wrongful act, also intends all the consequences of that act, however unforeseen. Others regard it as an example of strict liability, whereby a person who chooses to commit a crime is considered absolutely responsible for all the possible consequences of that action. Lord Mustill regards the historical rule as a convergence of these views.
The idea of the felony murder rule arose in 1716, with William Hawkins' Treatise of Pleas of the Crown, during his work on English criminal law. Hawkins reasoned that malice was implicit in a crime that, “necessarily tends to raise Tumults and Quarrels, and consequently cannot but be attended with the danger of personal hurt.”, thus, "this rule should extend to killings in the course of felonies à fortiori.".
It is a shame that everyone seems to have disregarded this long standing concept in order to get to the deep pockects.
Why is it, the only time you're able to find the father of one of these kids, is when they're standing beside a bottom feeder lawyer in front of a news camera speaking of suing someone?
Just don't understand it.
It ain't about the kids death, it'a
about a family seeing a golden
opportunity to cash in on the Chicago City Lottery.
Damm the circumstances under which
the child was killed but a few
thousands of dollars from the city
might assuage our grief and help
pay the reverund and ambulance-chaser who encouraged us to initiate
this lawsuit. We jest wanna git paid,
I agree that the family is pointing fingers in the wrong direction and we should be focusing on the shitbag driving the stolen vehicle. But as a taxpayer I already feel my sphincter tightening over the inevitable settlement.
Questions:
1) What is the CPD official policy w/r/t pursuits of stolen vehicles? Is there a speed limit that you have to obey?
2) Did the officers obey that policy and how closely did they obey it? You know damn well that if the officers didn't, the city will be hammered. Right or wrong, a jury is going to lean that way.
3) What was the rate of speed at the time of the tragic collision? And how long into the pursuit was it?
I'm not a cop but somehow I'm a magnet for jury trials, so when I read any lawsuit I start looking at the criteria I'd use for where the fault lies. Even if the CPD was 1% at fault, they're still legally liable. It sucks, but those are the jury instructions.
Great post. I couldn't have said it better.
"and blame the jagoff "father" who failed to exercise both common sense and paternal instinct that fateful day."
That's pretty harsh since when the accident happened it was documented that he took off his seatbelt to take off his coat because he was hot. The car was struck in that split second.
In other words all an offender has to do is commit a crime [any] and flee in a vehicle and he's safe??......STUPID politicians are ruining this country and have put the ball in the criminals court like the blog says get a gun and good luck America. Why should we loose are jobs possibly go to jail etc. when crime occurs.
The problem is that certain communities feel that committing crimes is normal in order for them to make a living. Gypsies steal. It's part of their culture.
South and West Side ghetto rats do their crimes. It's now a part of their culture.
They are, therefor, offended when the police take action against them for doing what they naturally do. "He was just selling heroin, office."
"He just did a burglary, office."
Well, those are crimes against otherwise normal people. They require a response.
the three most feared words in hockey apply here,LET EM GO!
I wonder if it was your kid, that was killed in this situation, what would you do?
Anonymous said...
Simple, no high speed chase, no dead kid.
3/25/2014 01:13:00 AM
Even MORE simple; no vehicular hijacking, no chase.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
OT: Regardless of what you think about how we're handling illegal immigration, am I the only one who, seven years after Elvira Arellano was deported, finds this odd?:
“I want to continue to learn English and find a job, any job,” Arellano said through a translator.
THOUGH A TRANSLATOR? Obviously her desire to “learn English,” isn't a big priority. She would've sold her case so much better, all these years later, had she actually spent some time learning English.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/26402972-418/immigration-activist-arellano-returns-to-chicago.html
rb
3/25/2014 01:19:00 AM
She entered the U.S. ILLEGALLY? AGAIN? (And, yes, still never bothered to learn English.)
It's rotten the kid is dead but are the police really responsible? What about the fact that the kid wasn't wearing a seat belt which allowed him to be ejected and killed?
Did the police unbuckle the kids seat belt before impact?
There is a LOT of blame to go around here mainly to the asshole serial carjacker but what about the driver of the van who allowed the boy to ride unbuckled?
The police deserve the least of the blame but that's where the $$$ is and that's what makes headlines.
The last time I went to 'peak performance' driving I wondered why the top speed was capped at 45.
All they gotta do is change the car computer so the rev limiter kicks in at about 35 and viola, we have no more chases.
Read the chase order - if you do so carefully, you'd NEVER chase ANYONE, regardless of crime committed, nor go to any job with the blue lights on either. Priority 0 & 1 jobs say you MAY use blue lights/siren, not HAVE to.
Only time you have to use the lights is for traffic stops, or some other such hazard.
Somebody has got to pay out the ghetto library and the offender has no money.
3/25/2014 12:38:00 AM
If it was your kid or family, you would do the same! Everyone blames the parent for not using a seatbelt, the idiot for running but we have blame to because we chased the idiot! Chase assholes where your friends and family live
Typical shit!
Never got sued doing nothing and staying out of the way!
KMA
Anonymous said...
Oh, but I was the cold hearted asshole on scene that said to cite the father for no seat belt, would have made a difference in the upcoming suit. But no one ever listens....
3/25/2014 09:34:00 AM
Yes, you should've written it, especially if you had the paper on the accident. Perhaps it woulda softened the blow come civil suit time, perhaps not. But at the very least the paper trail woulda existed. Even if some dickbag supervisor ordered you not to write it, it woulda been an unlawful order had your preliminary investigation and outcry statement by Dad discovered a seatbelt wasn't used. I know a guy way back when that was smart enough to put a statement over the zone in a similar incident: "7XX, per 7X0, sergeant _________, star # ______, I've been given and I am refusing a direct order to illegally enter and search the second floor of this address even though the SW as signed by the judge is only for the first floor". Bottom line......do what you gotta do within the scope of the law and let the chips fall where the may.
If Elvira learned Perfect English would you welcome her with open arms? I thought so. STFU.
Anonymous said...
I wonder if it was your kid, that was killed in this situation, what would you do?
3/25/2014 11:52:00 AM
I would put the blame where it belongs, the shit head who killed my kid. I would make it my mission to make sure this jagbag rots and gets pimped out in jail for a stick of bubble gum.
OT: “It’s for the kids.”
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is calling for another big tax hike — one that conveniently funnels hundreds of millions of dollars each year to his home district of Chicago.
He and his legislative colleagues will have collected more than $31 billion in new tax revenues by the time the temporary tax hike sunsets in January 2015, and now they want more.
Madigan’s plan is to raise $1 billion annually through a 3% “surcharge” on individuals with income greater than $1 million, ignoring the fact that many of these individuals can avoid the tax by simply leaving the state.
Madigan’s sales pitch?
“It’s for the kids.”
The Speaker says he wants the money to go to school districts throughout the state on a per-capita basis.
How convenient. It just so happens that his home school district is suffering from a collapsing pension fund and pension contributions that are set to triple in 2014.
Chicago Public Schools’ pension contribution spiked to $613 million in 2014, up from $208 million in 2013, and CPS doesn’t have the money to pay for it.
With $8 billion in debt, the pension fund is on a path toward insolvency.
But rather than call for sensible pension reforms, Madigan would rather pour more state tax dollars into CPS’s pensions.
Nearly 20% of Madigan’s proposed tax, or $200 million per year, would go to CPS. With nearly 400,000 students, CPS makes up about one-fifth of the entire student population in Illinois.
Sure, all school districts in the state stand to receive more money from Madigan’s short-sighted plan (how much they’ll get depends on how many millionaires decide to leave); but it’s only CPS that’s dealing with such a large contribution spike.
Madigan’s plan makes his tax increase retroactive to January 2014. That means CPS would stand to gain a combined $400 million in new revenues for 2014 and 2015.
That money would help pay CPS’s increased pension contribution, but the district’s pension system is past the point of a quick fix. Which is what Madigan’s plan really is — a bailout with state tax dollars.
And that’s not all.
It’s also a farewell to some of Illinois’ most important job creators.
Ted Dabrowski
Vice President of Policy
tdabrowski@illinoispolicy.org
Anonymous Anonymous said...
"and blame the jagoff "father" who failed to exercise both common sense and paternal instinct that fateful day."
That's pretty harsh since when the accident happened it was documented that he took off his seatbelt to take off his coat because he was hot. The car was struck in that split second.
3/25/2014 10:56:00 AM
I hope you're being facetious. Belted is belted. UNbelted isn't belted, no matter how short the timespan.
Charge the dad for not having the kid buckled up. I realize the family is mourning, but it could have been prevented. Now all they see is $$$. Disgusting.
Don't get me started on the bitch who had how many years to learn English after she was deported and still can't speak it? Why the hell is she in this country again? Fucking unreal.
--No Cop Here
give a flash and a report!u r clear!
"and blame the jagoff "father" who failed to exercise both common sense and paternal instinct that fateful day."
That's pretty harsh since when the accident happened it was documented that he took off his seatbelt to take off his coat because he was hot. The car was struck in that split second.
No, that's called bullshitting the police. The kid NEVER had a belt on. Some people lie sometimes. Some lie all the time. Any copper worth his salt knows the kid didn't just take his seatbelt off at that "split second" cuz he was hot and needed to take his coat off. That bullshit story ranks right up there with "deez my Bruthas pants, that dope ain't mines". Don't believe everything you read, dummy.
Documented? Yeah...a documented lie to distance himself from any iota of responsibility regarding his kids death. I'll bet everything I own that Daddy couldn't pass a lie detector test if asked the truth.
Guys, wearing a seat belt REDUCES your chances of being thrown from a vehicle in a.collision, doesn't mean it can't happen just because you have your seat belt on. So whether he had.it on or
Not is neither here nor there when playing the game of probability
"The Stroke" is at it again:
Mark Kirk Blasts 'Partisan Jihad' As He All But Endorses Dick Durbin Over GOP Rival
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/24/mark-kirk-jim-oberweis_n_5022505.html
And another entry into the Ghetto Lottery.
to 1.10am: What The Fuck is the word "Prolly"? I don't see it anywhere in any dictionary.
If it was your kid or family, you would do the same! Everyone blames the parent for not using a seatbelt, the idiot for running but we have blame to because we chased the idiot! Chase assholes where your friends and family live
Maybe I'll let the killer get away after he kills your family member then. It's tragic the kid was killed, but it lies on the murderer.
The ghetto lottery. No immunity for police officers acting within the scope of their job description. Personal financial ruin lurking moments away from the next radio call.
All brought to you by the plaintiff's bar's best friend....the Democratic Party.
Might want to think about that the next time you step into the voting booth.
Not a cop. Just a lawyer.
Madigan's Millionaire tax?
How interesting that Madigan announced that just two days after Bruce the Billionaire wins the Republican primary for governor.
Coincidence?
I think not. There are no coincidences in politics.
Say his name! Al Susnis....a GREAT policeman, gone but not forgotten!
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
NO, damned if you have a car chase for no good reason, if you followed the order this would not have happened.
Another reason why this job has become nothing but reports and more reports. Soon we will be issuing tickets for felonies; that's all these morons who run the show want anyway- more revenue. Everything has become an "after the fact" event. Offender won't stop for an officer, then just record the plate number and do a report. Then what? The detectives who are already low in manpower with a 30% homicide clearance rate are going to follow up and find an unknown offender who failed to stop per officer direction? Right- that case will be right at the top of the list. Take a look around and see what is happening. The rights of the criminal element are outweighing those of the law abiding with each passing year. More juveniles are entering the system because of the overwhelming lack of accountability on the parents and the juveniles themselves, enabled by liberal judges who reside in ivory towers with nothing but sympathy and second, third, fourth, fifth, ....a dozen chances in their hearts for these unsalvageable criminally inclined individuals. Convicted felons are set free each year as the revolving door of the system continues to spin. Convicted murderers of policemen are continually granted parole hearings re-opening wounds for their families who must attend to remind those who have forgotten the lives of those officers that were sacrificed to protect this city. We have a court system which allows an offender and his family the luxury to seek financial restitution from his victim, should he become injured/dead during the process of his own criminal acts. Police stations are not even safe. How much more emboldened can criminals become if they think nothing of walking into a police lot and vandalizing marked squad cars, removing lug nuts and the like? This is the course we are on, and apparently there are not enough people who are angry or concerned enough to change it.
Ask yourself, "Is it worth it?"
Well, consider this. Did the "father" have this child properly restrained? If he had, then it is highly unlikely this child would have been thrown from the vehicle. Won't sue this POS turd that was being chased. Ain't got nothin' to give. Go for the deep pockets. JUSTICE my ass. Blood money.
Isn't the offender is going to get charged with the boy's murder? He should also get charged for fleeing, maybe increase the penalty for fleeing and make sure it is played up in the press as all these criminals know they only have to run and if they do not get caught,or if the police are afraid to chase because of safety concerns, they can get away with murder and everything else.
"You told the Truth, but U'r still a liar
Walking on a Wire."
-Lowen & Navarro
It is not worth some innocent person dying just to catch a criminal.
If there is a high degree of risk to innocent citizens, the consensus of most of the citizenry is that that the chase needs to be curtailed. Most police departments have instituted rules that accept that concept.
No one really cares if a crook gets away. They do care if a cop chase ends up with some kid dead that was not involved in the incident.
Bottom line is the car chase resulted in an innocent person being killed. It did not have to happen.
Granted it would not have happened if the crooks just stopped when approached by police and submitted to arrest, but in the real world that is not going to happen some times and on the whole we as a society have decided that the possible apprehension of some crook is not worth the life of some innocent citizen. Somehow cops are going to have to come to grips with that in Chicago as they have in most other places.
Another reason why this job has become nothing but reports and more reports. Soon we will be issuing tickets for felonies; that's all these morons who run the show want anyway- more revenue. Everything has become an "after the fact" event. Offender won't stop for an officer, then just record the plate number and do a report. Then what? The detectives who are already low in manpower with a 30% homicide clearance rate are going to follow up and find an unknown offender who failed to stop per officer direction? Right- that case will be right at the top of the list. Take a look around and see what is happening. The rights of the criminal element are outweighing those of the law abiding with each passing year. More juveniles are entering the system because of the overwhelming lack of accountability on the parents and the juveniles themselves, enabled by liberal judges who reside in ivory towers with nothing but sympathy and second, third, fourth, fifth, ....
That said it all.Very wll written.
This department is doomed!!!!
This is just one of the many things that is wrong with today's society.
Lawsuits should be based on what someone did "wrong".
The driver of the vehicle was "wrong" for driving the car and running from the police.
The owner of the car was "wrong" for not having the kid in a seat belt.
Were the police "wrong" for trying to apprehend a dangerous criminal, activating lights and sirens as prescribed by law?
It's all about lawyers whoring for the deep pockets. What's "wrong"!
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