41D-High Speed Pursuit 2019 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Policy & Procedure Page 1 of 14 Lexington Police Department Subject: High Speed Pursuits Policy Number: 41D Accreditation Standards: Reference: 41.2.2; 41.2.3 Effective Date: 3/11/13  New  Revised Revision Dates: 1/24/19 By Order of: Mark J. Corr, Chief of Police GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS AND GUIDELINES A high-speed pursuit is the motorized pursuit of another vehicle at speeds above the legal speed limit. A Sustained high speed pursuit is a continuing pursuit at high speeds and contrary to traffic laws and regulative signals. The distinction between the types of motorized pursuit is important. It is not uncommon, and sometimes necessary, for a police officer to exceed the legal speed limit when pursuing a law violator (i.e. speeding violators). In most instances, these short pursuits end very quickly when the motorist voluntarily comes to a stop. However, in rare instances, the law violator seeks to avoid arrest and chooses not to stop. In these cases, the police officer must decide whether or not to engage in a sustained high-speed pursuit. As a general statement, a sustained high-speed pursuit is prohibited except under the most unusual circumstances. The potential danger to the officer and the general public outweighs the potential advantage of stopping a fleeing vehicle by such means. Stated simply, pursuit is clearly inappropriate when the pursuit itself endangers life more than the escape of the person pursued. A decision not to pursue, while sometimes distasteful, may be the wiser choice especially when the person is known and there is no immediate threat to the community. If unusual circumstances arise, a sustained high-speed pursuit may be authorized. If these pursuits are undertaken, extreme caution must be used and the purpose of the pursuit should be to apprehend quickly and in the safest manner possible. Each officer must use discretion in determining whether or not to commence a pursuit.