(RepublicanPress.org) – The Justice Department’s COP Office, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and national policing think tank Police Executive Research Forum recently issued a guide for law enforcement officials to use to manage the associated risks with vehicular pursuits. That 160-page document called for police officers to avoid initiating a chase unless the suspect posed an imminent threat or a violent crime had been committed. Nevertheless, a recent pursuit involving a non-violent crime resulted in the deaths of both suspects.
On December 20, the Pennsylvania State Police issued a press release detailing the incident. At approximately 12:52 a.m., troopers responded to a report of two males unlawfully attempting to enter vehicles in the 9000 block of Lindale Avenue in Antrim Township. Upon their arrival, the complainant provided officers with a vehicle description and license plate number.
Two found dead in submerged car after police chase in Pennsylvania https://t.co/sylSW2xY5y
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) December 22, 2023
The troopers started canvassing the area. After a few minutes, they observed the suspect vehicle about five miles due west on Oellig Road near State Highway 16. They attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspects refused to comply, and a pursuit ensued.
The statement noted that state troopers made several unsuccessful attempts to stop the suspect vehicle. During the pursuit, the suspects exited the roadway and started driving through several patches of farmland.
Eventually, the suspects drove over a steep embankment while traveling through a field. The vehicle crashed into a body of water. The troopers called for fire/rescue and emergency medical services (EMS) units to assist them at the crash scene. Sadly, the bodies of two deceased males were found inside the suspect vehicle.
Officials with the Harrisburg-based Troop H Major Case Team are leading the investigation into the initial report and the resulting fatal incident. Pennsylvania State Police officials indicated they would release additional information, including the identification of the operator and passenger of the suspect vehicle, at an unspecified date.
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