The family of David Pollard has been seeking justice for his death since April.
Pollard was killed April 19 in a three-vehicle accident involving a stolen car. According to the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, the Carver High School baseball coach was headed to a hardware store to pick up chalk to line the fields at the time of the fatal crash.
Now, the family is seeking $13 million from the city of Columbus, the newspaper reported. The family filed a $1 million claim against the city in April, but it was denied.
According to the soon-to-be filed lawsuit, police continued to chase the stolen car even after the first officer involved in the chase called off the pursuit, the Ledger-Enquirer reported.
“Police often think fleeing drivers are wanted for serious offenses, and we anticipate that was the case here,” Attorney Katonga Wright told the newspaper. “And they dislike letting the violator get away. During a police chase, police officers can be overcome by a need to win and make the arrest.”
Pollard’s family is part of a growing list of those who have complained about the intent behind police chases.
Most recently, the family of Dorothy Wright filed a lawsuit against the city of College Park and its police force, alleging officers acted outside the department's chase policy. Wright and her two grandchildren died on their way to church when a man inside a stolen SUV slammed into them during a police chase.
In a similar case, the family of 8-year-old Jamaris Davis said police should have never chased the woman accused of killing him in a June crash. Ana Bolton allegedly stole a car and led police on a chase through parts of Atlanta and East Point before crashing into Davis and his family's car. He died after two days on life support.
Davis’ family has not filed a lawsuit against the police departments involved.
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