by Ray Sanchez, Peter Nickeas, Emma Tucker and Mark Morales
CNN
June 19, 2021
As American cities confront a rise in gun violence ahead of an expected summertime crime surge, concerns about a retreat in proactive policing are mounting across the country amid a debate over brutality and systemic racism that followed the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
… Adrenaline-induced pursuits often end in excessive, sometimes deadly uses of force by police, according to community leaders and criminal justice experts.
“I’m an older white guy. I’m going to stop, I don’t feel threatened,” said Jeffrey Butts, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “There are people whose rational expectation is that (the stop) puts them in danger. They’re going to have different response. It’s amazing to me that we haven’t confronted that and individual police officers don’t think about that. They’re just shocked and angered by someone daring to not comply.”
But those against banning pursuits outright, including law enforcement officials and advocates, say a policy such as Chicago’s is unrealistic, particularly when the fleeing suspect is armed.
