Commuting - The Police Chase... OF DOOM!

It's way too long of a story to bother posting in its entirety. Click to read the long version:

http://kc-bike.blogspot.com/2007/11/police-chase-of-doom.html

Short version:

I got out late this morning, got blown by (safely) by four high-speed police cruisers on my way to the bus. Had I left on time, I could have likely gotten creamed by an evading motorist.

I used to live in a very bad area, and I almost got creamed by police chasing thugs twice.

I think we should get to publicly stone cops to death for chasing people through city streets and red lights like that. It looks pretty cool on television, but it is scary as hell when you witness it or get in a near miss with it. Most cops are ******** cowboys. We had an innocent citizen get killed (http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/sep/09/court_considers_liability_chases/)from it not long ago here in Wichita.

Likewise here in one of the suburbs of Kansas City (http://kcbike.info/2007/11/09/independence-teen-killed/), just a few weeks back.

Man, you just hate to hear these stories...but unfortunately is isn't as uncommon as one might think.

It's way too long of a story to bother posting in its entirety. Click to read the long version:

http://kc-bike.blogspot.com/2007/11/police-chase-of-doom.html

Short version:

I got out late this morning, got blown by (safely) by four high-speed police cruisers on my way to the bus. Had I left on time, I could have likely gotten creamed by an evading motorist.

Nice alliteration: The cops' clamoring klaxons wailed coarsely behind me.

Thanks. I'm convinced that my occasional wordplay is one of the few reasons people actually come back to my site.

Most cops are ******** cowboys.


Not alliteration or "word play", but definitely quotable!:p

The more you generalize the more idiotic you appear.
Most police are doing their jobs. End of story.


---------------
Several months ago I came upon several motorcycle cops sitting on the trail I use. They had closed it for a police chase that happened nearby. I had to detour about 8 miles to find a route through the area that was closed off. Such a lovely ride through industrial areas filled with potholes and obnoxious drivers.
At least I avoided the actual chase. That and I was able to watch the long lines of cars stuck in a traffic jam caused by the adjacent streets being closed.

The more you generalize the more idiotic you appear.
Most police are doing their jobs. End of story.

Obeying the law is evading police detection.
Sheriff Tanner
Beaufort County, SC
(From a speech during orientation of a citizens law enforcement education course.)

If a criminal had stolen someone's beautiful new Serotta we would be hearing calls for the police to shoot the dirty thieves right on the spot. Yeah, let the criminals call the shots.


http://www.oakleycycles.com/users/ariosa/MeiVici_06.jpg

Obeying the law is evading police detection.
Sheriff Tanner
Beaufort County, SC
(From a speech during orientation of a citizens law enforcement education course.)

I fail to see how this particular sheriff's opinion has anything to do with mine. *shrugs*

IF . . . big word!

I used to live in a very bad area, and I almost got creamed by police chasing thugs twice. I think we should get to publicly stone cops to death for chasing people through city streets and red lights like that.Nice.
Your beef is with reckless criminals, not honorable police seeking to uphold law and order.

Look, the road I ride on is a ghost town at 6:00 in the morning. I've even ranted about this same road before, where a company truck stopped directly behind me and made an unsafe pass even though there was a completely desolate lane to my left. The officers were hauling ass, but they were staying left, and I didn't feel in jeopardy. Most of the police chase bike/ped deaths I've heard of were due to being hit by the inexperienced, intoxicated, or "******** cowboy" evaders, not the police officers. I'm sure it happens, but blaming officers for deaths in a high-speed chase is like blaming fire-fighters for deaths in an arson.

Nice.
Your beef is with reckless criminals, not honorable police seeking to uphold law and order.

I can't count the number of times I've seen police do unbelieveable things in traffic without regard to safety.

I really believe a lot of them are thrill-seeking more than they are trying to uphold law and order. Sure, a handfull of 'em may have noble intentions, but not all (or even most).

I can't count the number of times I've seen police do unbelieveable things in traffic with no disregard of anyone's safety.

You do realize that your verbiage paints police officers as cautious and courteous beings, right? I suppose you like phrases such as "I could care less if..." and "irregardless"?

You do realize that your verbiage paints police officers as cautious and courteous beings, right? I suppose you like phrases such as "I could care less if..." and "irregardless"?

Haha! Exactly!

Police are just doing their jobs. Criminals are the ones who people need to get on the cases of.

EDIT:

Nice alliteration: The cops' clamoring klaxons wailed coarsely behind me.

Cops' clamoring klaxons coarsely calling....dunno

If it s OK to chase criminals with two ton cars ignoring every traffic law, then why not just pull guns on them and fire wildly at them? Hell, why not mount a 50mm machine gun on the car and just open fire? Why not fire at criminals fleeing on foot with crowds of innocents around?

Absurd?

No more absurd than what they are already doing. They are using deadly force to capture a criminal with as much chance of harming or killing an innocent as harming or killing the criminal.

When the police give chase in this circumstance, they are just as much at fault as the criminal.

It is ridiculous that while a gun is considered deadly force, a car is not. You would think a person reading this forum would understand this.

Soooooooo sorry for using a double negative on a web forum. It pains me to get a red mark on my paper :rolleyes:

If it s OK to chase criminals with two ton cars ignoring every traffic law, then why not just pull guns on them and fire wildly at them?Are you telling us the fleeing criminals are driving courteously, obeying the speed limit, using turn signals, coming to complete stops, and giving pedestrians & cyclists the right-of-way?
You feel it's only the police officers driving aggressively?

Are you telling us the fleeing criminals are driving courteously, obeying the speed limit, using turn signals, coming to complete stops, and giving pedestrians & cyclists the right-of-way?
You feel it's only the police officers driving aggressively?

I think people evading a chase are going to be taking more risks and certainly driving much faster than they otherwise would be, yes. Don't the police have helicopters and radios and a fleet of cars at their disposal? Why can't they just let them go on their way, and lay in wait for them in their path?

Then again, boys will be boys (http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,22822609-948,00.html).

I think people evading a chase are going to be taking more risks and certainly driving much faster than they otherwise would be, yes. Don't the police have helicopters and radios and a fleet of cars at their disposal? Why can't they just let them go on their way, and lay in wait for them in their path?

Then again, boys will be boys (http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,22822609-948,00.html).

Because SOMEONE still has to maintain visual until the chopper arrives, and in this case, two of the 3 suspects bailed, and they had to seal off the area, fast.

I fail to see how this particular sheriff's opinion has anything to do with mine. *shrugs*

That is called counterpoint, look it up and turn the comprehension dial up some.

Police are just doing their jobs.
And maybe they need to be given new guidelines for doing their jobs. Or not. Discuss.

That is called counterpoint, look it up and turn the comprehension dial up some.

Then it is a piss poor counterpoint. Congratulations, you win the asshat contest.

Hell, why not mount a 50mm machine gun on the car and just open fire?



There would certainly be less criminals...

And maybe they need to be given new guidelines for doing their jobs. Or not. Discuss.

That's a topic for a different thread in a different forum.

Then it is a piss poor counterpoint. Congratulations, you win the asshat contest.

Wait until you get stopped for driving at the speed limit. Unless you're one of "them."

I used to live in a very bad area, and I almost got creamed by police chasing thugs twice.

I think we should get to publicly stone cops to death for chasing people through city streets and red lights like that. It looks pretty cool on television, but it is scary as hell when you witness it or get in a near miss with it. Most cops are ******** cowboys. We had an innocent citizen get killed (http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/sep/09/court_considers_liability_chases/)from it not long ago here in Wichita.

Haven't you considered that the reason why they have "Lights and Sirens" is to let you know to keep clear and make way( I'm sure you could hear and see the red lights way ahead of time to make way, right?)? I guess not, If you refuse then you're just obstructing justice in preventing to make a lawful arrest and in turn you may just get arrestedIF you do it intentionally..

Just let the cops do their job to make this place a safer place. Btw, if it wasn't for the lights and sirens, you might've gotten run over by that reckless driver evading the officers. I don't know why you feel the way you do, but don't be ignorant and recognize before you judge (not unless you have a warrant for your arrest?).

Wait until you get stopped for driving at the speed limit. Unless you're one of "them."

*scratches head*

WTH?

Haven't you considered that the reason why they have "Lights and Sirens" is to let you know to keep clear and make way( I'm sure you could hear and see the red lights way ahead of time to make way, right?)? I guess not, If you refuse then you're just obstructing justice in preventing to make a lawful arrest and in turn you may just get arrestedIF you do it intentionally..

Just let the cops do their job to make this place a safer place. Btw, if it wasn't for the lights and sirens, you might've gotten run over by that reckless driver evading the officers. I don't know why you feel the way you do, but don't be ignorant and recognize before you judge (not unless you have a warrant for your arrest?).

I guess you've never encountered one of these parades of criminals chasing criminals. Once you do, you'll find yourself looking both ays at green lights for a while. It's pretty scary.

You are lucky to be aware of it at all 'til it passes you or crosses your path.

I'm all for the cops doing their job, but they have to do it with regard for public safety. A police chase on surface streets through red lights is no different than firing at a criminal who is standing in front of innocent civilians. I'd rather see the criminal escape, than see a kid or an expectant mother get creamed by a cop or criminal (see links to those stories early in this thread).

When the cops give chase in traffic, they are causing the actions of the criminal at some point. I've been burglarized twice in the last five years. Guess what the cops did both times: Nothing. They collected no evidence (fingerprints etc). They just took the information over the telephone on one occasion. they took zero interest in wanting to catch the person who was in my home, they were just providing me with paperwork for insurance. Same thing when my last mountain bike was stolen. Explain to me why a hit and run resulting in a car being totaled is worth the life of a child riding a bicycle, but they don't care if they catch a person who breaks into a home in a low income neighborhood. The difference I see is this; one provides the opportunity for cops to play dukes of hazard on city streets, and one requires them to do the much more boring task of checking fingerprints left by a burglar. ******** adrenaline junkie cowboy cops chasing ******** teen thugs.

Catching the bad guy is not worth an innocent life.

I guess you've never encountered one of these parades of criminals chasing criminals. Once you do, you'll find yourself looking both ays at green lights for a while. It's pretty scary.

You are lucky to be aware of it at all 'til it passes you or crosses your path.

I'm all for the cops doing their job, but they have to do it with regard for public safety. A police chase on surface streets through red lights is no different than firing at a criminal who is standing in front of innocent civilians. I'd rather see the criminal escape, than see a kid or an expectant mother get creamed by a cop or criminal (see links to those stories early in this thread).

When the cops give chase in traffic, they are causing the actions of the criminal at some point. I've been burglarized twice in the last five years. Guess what the cops did both times: Nothing. They collected no evidence (fingerprints etc). They just took the information over the telephone on one occasion. they took zero interest in wanting to catch the person who was in my home, they were just providing me with paperwork for insurance. Same thing when my last mountain bike was stolen. Explain to me why a hit and run resulting in a car being totaled is worth the life of a child riding a bicycle, but they don't care if they catch a person who breaks into a home in a low income neighborhood. The difference I see is this; one provides the opportunity for cops to play dukes of hazard on city streets, and one requires them to do the much more boring task of checking fingerprints left by a burglar. ******** adrenaline junkie cowboy cops chasing ******** teen thugs.

Catching the bad guy is not worth an innocent life.

I see your point and I now understand your pain and experience, I don't know where you live and how they respond to certain situations, but I'm sure you can address these issues through community meetings that is held in your city. I know that "chasing ******** teen thugs" aren't the only priority the city has, but I'm sure there has to be some merits in going after these criminals. I understand that "catching the bad guy is not worth an innocent life," but I just want you to know that it's also worth getting these thugs if they commit 10 more crimes and kill more innocent lives (with regard for public safety). There are also other "catch a bad guy days" to handle this, but we're not living in a perfect world and these situations happen and I'm sure the superior who has the authority to stop or continue these chases has some valid reasons and merits to continue the pursuits and make that decisions or else these criminal events will continue to rise and more crime will occur thereafter.

And yes, I cross these paths everyday and night as I serve the public the best way I can. I commute to work by bike and hop on a one ton rig with my red lights and sirens to prevent or go after criminals. It's not a perfect world, but I am aware of good law abiding citizens of their efforts to help us and we try to help back in return "with regard for public safety."