Ever see a pursuit (if LEO, while off duty?)

**pmfc** · 08-09-06, 02:16 AM

I was wondering how many people here have seen a chase go by their home, or have been driving and seen one go by. If you are a LEO, have you ever seen one off duty? Here's the ones I remember:

1987: I used to live in a corner apartment with a view out my window of a westbound one-way street, and a north-south two-way street. Around 4 AM one morning I was woken up by the sound of a ton of sirens. I looked out my window just in time to see a blacked-out vehicle traveling the wrong way on the one-way street, followed by many LE vehicles. He turned northbound on my street and was forced to a stop by a Sheriff car that jerked to the right and sandwiched the suspect vehicle between his car and a parked truck on the street. They had to drag the suspect out of the driver's side window and subdue him, as he was fighting the officers.

1989: I was sitting on a bench at an outdoor shopping mall talking to a friend when a kid on a BMX bicycle came tearing through the mall, followed by a State Police vehicle with a prisoner in the back. This was in the days before the California State Police merged with the California Highway Patrol.

The kid on the bike cut down a wheelchair ramp and eluded the officer. I have no idea if they ever caught him.

2004: I was traveling eastbound on a main street at around midnight. I saw a Sheriff car that was traveling westbound turn on his lights. I pulled over like you should when an emergency vehicle has their lights activated. Then I saw a car take off from him and the cop hit his siren. He kept going.

Anyone else have any stories?

**jmur5074** · 08-09-06, 02:27 AM

I had a pursuit go by my house one time.

It was neat.

**Big Al** · 08-09-06, 07:48 AM

One evening I was relaxing on my front porch with a beer in hand when I heard this gawd awful noise coming from the north, then around the corner came the nieghbor's tom cat in fresh pursuit of a young puss..... LOL does this count?

Acutally, I did see pursuit through a city. It is kinda different to see one from a average citizens perspective.

**Elle** · 08-09-06, 11:58 AM

The part of town I live in has a bad rep. I've seen a few pursuits go by in front of my apartment building, I don't really think too much about it,they're not after me so why worry?

**Willowdared** · 08-09-06, 02:03 PM

I got side-swiped and sent onto the shoulder by the suspect during a pursuit. I'm guessing it was a stolen vehicle heading for the border.

Since it happened right at the border of two jurisdictions, I was able to flag down one of the officers that had just broken off - only damage was my rear-view mirror though. (I drove a '69 Dodge Charger - major muscle car!

)

**TXCharlie** · 08-09-06, 02:26 PM

I've never seen a persuit as a bystander...

But I was in a short one when I did a ride-along. We got up to like 95 MPH for a short time before the guy stopped.

**pmfc** · 08-09-06, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by TXCharlie

I've never seen a persuit as a bystander...

But I was in a short one when I did a ride-along. We got up to like 95 MPH for a short time before the guy stopped.

Here I have heard that if the officer you do a ride-along with gets in a pursuit, he will make you get out of the car first. Even if it's in the 'hood

So I refuse to go on a ride-along. An unarmed female does NOT belong in the ghetto.

I've seen other pursuits go by the various apartments I've lived in. I have the same thread going in General Topics 1 on RP, and quite a few people responded with some good stories.

**pmfc** · 08-09-06, 09:00 PM

Originally Posted by PDawg

I got side-swiped and sent onto the shoulder by the suspect during a pursuit. I'm guessing it was a stolen vehicle heading for the border.

Since it happened right at the border of two jurisdictions, I was able to flag down one of the officers that had just broken off - only damage was my rear-view mirror though. (I drove a '69 Dodge Charger - major muscle car!

)

Glad you're alright! I hope they caught the guy.

**pmfc** · 08-09-06, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by Big Al491

One evening I was relaxing on my front porch with a beer in hand when I heard this gawd awful noise coming from the north, then around the corner came the nieghbor's tom cat in fresh pursuit of a young puss..... LOL does this count?

Acutally, I did see pursuit through a city. It is kinda different to see one from a average citizens perspective.

I saw a kitty pursuit last night too

I was sitting outside and two cats were growling at each other for about 5 minutes. When I lit them up with my 1.5 watt LED flashlight they took off, one in pursuit of the other.

I must admit, seeing a real police pursuit was one hell of an adrenalin rush. I LOVED IT!

**Standard Dave** · 08-13-06, 10:01 AM

When I was at university before becoming an LEO I had one end outside my house when a stolen car hit a fence post that caused the car to stall and as it was scaffed he couldn't start it again and took off on his heels with six cars and a dog van chasing him.

He returned to the scene a few minutes later upside down in cuffs complaining about his rights and the largest police officer I have ever seen threw him across the back seats of a patrol car it was cool and still one of the most interesting incidents I have seen.

**refusetostop** · 08-13-06, 10:22 AM

When I was a little lad about 12 years old growing up in Detroit a few perps robbed a bank and the police chased them down my street. They missed the turn at the corner hit a big ass oak tree and both got a good ass kicking.

That is when I first told my mother I was gonna be a policeman.

**Falcata** · 08-13-06, 11:04 AM

When I first met my wife, I was travelling home after a day out with her....and happened to have my dog in the car. (we had been to a park/country club all day)..

It was 3am as I travelled through town, and a pursuit went past me....stolen car, being chased by patrolman in his vehicle......

After about a mile, the stolen car crashed and the driver fled...TOWARDS my direction. I stopped my car, got my dog out..(he was ex-K9) and challenged the thief..

...He immediately saw the futility of fight or flight...and surrendered to the officer who had now caught up with him...

Once I was happy the cop was ok, and the bad guy handcuffed...I bid a good evening and went home to bed....

**Jks9199** · 08-13-06, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by pmfc

Here I have heard that if the officer you do a ride-along with gets in a pursuit, he will make you get out of the car first. Even if it's in the 'hood

So I refuse to go on a ride-along. An unarmed female does NOT belong in the ghetto.

I've seen other pursuits go by the various apartments I've lived in. I have the same thread going in General Topics 1 on RP, and quite a few people responded with some good stories.

Officers shouldn't be dumping ride-alongs in unsafe locations. They shouldn't knowingly and intentionally take a ride-along into a dangerous situation or a pursuit (sometimes, you don't have a choice or time to plan), either. That might mean that, unless it's an officer-in-distress, the cop with the ride-along doesn't get to go play in the pursuit.

When I have a ride-along, they're warned that some calls might mean I leave them on a street corner. It's not going to be in a dangerous area, and I'm going to have someone else coming to get them. If I can't leave them somewhere safely, someone else takes the call.

**Jks9199** · 08-13-06, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by Falcata

I stopped my car, got my dog out..(he was ex-K9) and challenged the thief..He immediately saw the futility of fight or flight...and surrendered to the officer who had now caught up with him...

Once I was happy the cop was ok, and the bad guy handcuffed...I bid a good evening and went home to bed....

I was on vacation once, and had some down time at the hotel. I go for a walk, and the local cops are working some sort of wreck or something. I'm watching at a good distance, and I notice that one of the people they're talking to is starting to get that "happy feet" look... I moved to where it looked like he was about to run. Don't know if my positioning stopped him or what, 'cause he didn't run. But I was ready for him!

**TXCharlie** · 08-13-06, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by Jks9199

Officers shouldn't be dumping ride-alongs in unsafe locations. They shouldn't knowingly and intentionally take a ride-along into a dangerous situation or a pursuit (sometimes, you don't have a choice or time to plan), either.

There was nothing unduly dangerous about the short persuit that I was on, and I'd have been very angry at them if they had dumped me out and made me miss it. I didn't sign my waiver so I could waste my time going on a Disneyland Tea Cup ride

**Ducky** · 08-13-06, 04:58 PM

Driving through Augusta one night, we saw a pickup truck coming from the opposite direction (divided highway.) What got our attention was that while it had l at least two tires missing and was sending up sparks like an arc welder, the driver was calmly smoking a cig. The four or five patrol cars behind him sure looked like they meant business though.

**Jks9199** · 08-14-06, 12:55 AM

Originally Posted by TXCharlie

There was nothing unduly dangerous about the short persuit that I was on, and I'd have been very angry at them if they had dumped me out and made me miss it. I didn't sign my waiver so I could waste my time going on a Disneyland Tea Cup ride

It's a judgement call that the officer with the ride-along has to make. Your safety as a ride-along is his/her responsibility. I've done short pursuits and high speed driving with ride-alongs; I did say that SOME pursuits can't be avoided. At the same time, I'm not likely to PIT a car or take a ride-along into a shooting situation if I have a choice about it. Sorry -- I ain't getting sued or fired so you can see a "real live COPS-type pursuit and gun play!"

**kingpervis** · 08-14-06, 10:42 AM

A few weeks ago, I was driving north on US 169 just south of 694. My fiance was a few cars ahead of me (we had met family after work and had to drive separately). As we were headed north, I noted a Hennepin County squad on the side of the road. I wondered what HCSO would be doing on 169, but then gave it no further thought. I then saw two squads heading south on the reds. I still didn't put two and two together. I then looked up in my rear view mirror and saw that about a half mile behind me there was a sea of red lights closing in on me fast. Now the wheels finally clicked and I knew what was coming my way. I grabbed my cell phone and tried to warn my fiance to get off the road. Of course, her phone was on silent, so she wasn't answering. I started panicking because all I could think of was this jackass sideswiping her and sending her into the ditch or something. As we approached 694, I saw that the suspect was now directly behind me, riding my tail. It was nighttime, and I could see his silhouette in my rear view mirror. We crossed 694 and he took the exit for westbound 694. About 12 squads followed right behind him. Of course, NOW my cell phone rings. The fiance wants to know if I saw all the lights...yeah, I sure did! We continued north just a bit and saw a Maple Grove squad on the side of the road putting his stop sticks away.

We got home and I was shaking, I was so mad. I wanted to go find this guy and give him a piece of my mind for daring to come within 2 miles of my fiance. I'm so glad she wasn't hurt. The guy turned off before he would have passed her.

I hate pursuits (and yes, I've been in one).