FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Los Angeles PD Chief Bratton announces new training concerning pursuit related police shootings.

SOURCE-PursuitWatch.org, Inc.

Winter Park, Florida 4/06/05

It is an all too common scenario across the United States. A pursuit ends when a suspect crashes, many times with an uninvolved motorist, and
comes to a stop. Several police cars pull up around the suspect; officers exit their cars and with guns drawn-they order the suspect to get
out of the car. The suspect manages to get his car moving again and either purposely, accidentally, or because all other avenues are blocked he
goes toward the police officers and he is met with a hail of gunfire.

In response to several recent instances in Los Angeles, the most recent being the fatal shooting of an unarmed 13-year-old boy who allegedly
backed his car toward an officer following a pursuit, the Los Angeles Police Commission tightened policy to allow officers to shoot at moving vehicles only when they feel their, or bystanders, lives are threatened
by the suspect.

Chief Bratton, while detailing the training for the new policy, explained that officers will be trained not stand their ground and fire when the suspect comes their way, but to get out of the way if at all possible. Additionally, he said that officers would be trained to make tactical decisions that avoid placing themselves in a position that makes them a possible victim. The overall goal of the training and policy change is to greatly reduce the numbers of these incidents and thereby reduce the number of deaths and injuries to police officers, innocent bystanders and suspects.

This type of policy and practice has been adopted by many agencies around the country in recent years and should be the standard for all agencies.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
PursuitWatch.org, Inc.
Jim Phillips
www.pursuitwatch.org
Cell (407) 619-0941
Answering Machine (407) 629-4975
jim@pursuitwatch.org

PursuitWatch.org, Inc. is a Florida Non-Profit Corporation and advocates safer and smarter police pursuit policy and practice.