OPINION

By now everyone has heard the news of Renee Nicole Good, the 37-year-old protestor who recklessly attempted to use her vehicle as a weapon and was stopped by the use of deadly force. Some think it was a murder.

Many have asked; Should she have been shot by police? We say yes. Anyone that flees the police should face deadly force.

Police pursuits turn everyday streets into war zones; it’s time for a radical rethink of how we handle drivers who flee from law enforcement.

Any and all drivers who choose to run from the police should be met with immediate and decisive force, including lethal force if necessary. Why? Because the moment a driver hits the gas to evade officers, they transform their vehicle into a deadly weapon, endangering everyone around them. They become a “lose cannon”. We’ve all seen far too many heartbreaking videos of fleeing criminals barreling through red lights, smashing into family minivans, and leaving trails of devastation.

It’s about public safety – Fleeing drivers immediately become severe public safety hazards and stopping them would swiftly prevent unnecessary deaths.

Tens of thousands more have been injured in these high-stakes chases, frequently sparked by minor infractions like running a red light or shoplifting. The risk is simply too high when alternatives like targeted deadly force could neutralize the threat before it spirals out of control.

Take the heartbreaking case of Luis Hernandez, a 38-year-old innocent bystander in Pennsylvania. In 2022, Hernandez was on his way home in Wilkinsburg when a suspect fleeing Monroeville police slammed into him during a high-speed chase. Hernandez was killed instantly, leaving his family to grapple with unimaginable loss. His estate later sued the department, arguing that the pursuit violated public safety policies and needlessly endangered the public.

Nationally, the toll is more staggering.

In Evansville, Indiana a fleeing driver blew through a stop sign killing a seven-month-old boy and his two-year-old sister.

That same year in Albuquerque, New Mexico, two innocent people perished when a stolen vehicle slammed into a tow truck during a police chase, and in July 2018 six lives were lost in Yankton County, South Dakota, including four occupants of an oncoming Nissan Sentra, two of them children, after a fleeing driver crossed into their lane.

In December 2020, 11-year-old Monica Goods died after a New York State Trooper rammed her family’s SUV during a pursuit on the Thruway.

A 63-year-old grandmother in Indianapolis was killed in 2015 by a shoplifter chased for four miles.

Critics might call this proposal extreme, arguing it infringes on rights or escalates violence. But consider the alternative: continuing a system where pursuits rack up an average of hundreds of innocent deaths annually.

Law enforcement already has tools like spike strips or PIT maneuvers, but they aren’t always feasible in split-second decisions. Authorizing officers to use deadly force against fleeing vehicles, targeting tires or engines first, escalating only if needed, could deter flight altogether. After all, if drivers know evasion means certain stoppage, perhaps by a bullet, they might stay pulled over instead.

Fleeing isn’t a victimless choice; it’s a declaration of war on public safety. Until we treat it as such, more families will mourn loved ones lost to preventable chaos. It’s time to prioritize the innocent over the reckless.

NOTE:
State of Tennessee v. Garner says police may use deadly force when the fleeing suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical harm to officers or the public.