A Coweta County deputy has been cleared by the district attorney after his PIT maneuver during a high-speed police chase in August killed a 29-year-old man.
Rafael Jevon Minniefield died “after suffering multiple skull fractures, bleeding on the brain, fractured vertebra, a transected spine, and lacerations to multiple internal organs including the aorta” in the crash, Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney Herb Cranford said in a news release Wednesday.
The Georgia State Patrol investigated the crash and provided its full investigative file to the DA’s office Oct. 7, Cranford said.
On Aug. 13, Newnan police Officer Michael Smith said he saw Minniefield driving a red Dodge Ram on Greenville Street around midnight, with his passenger-side tires against the curb for about 50 yards. Minniefield stopped near the Corinth Road intersection after Smith initiated a traffic stop, but then turned off his car’s lights and sped away, according to the news release.
When Deputy Chris Thompson, who was traveling north, saw Minniefield speed off, he turned around, turned on his sirens and emergency lights and pursued Minniefield toward the interchange of I-85, Cranford said.
Minniefield failed to maintain his lane and was driving at speeds around 94 mph in a 55-mph zone, according to authorities. After he swerved around two tractor-trailers and ran through red lights on U.S. 29 and I-85 North, Minniefield accelerated to 99 mph.
“As the chase neared the residential area of Moreland, Deputy Thompson moved into the left (oncoming traffic) lane and set up for a PIT maneuver,” according to Cranford. “The area chosen had a long straight of way where oncoming traffic would have been visible and where there were no residences in the immediate area.”
As Thompson successfully performed the PIT maneuver, Minniefield’s car spun counterclockwise, struck an embankment and rolled, the news release said.
“Minniefield, who was not wearing his seatbelt, was ejected and landed several feet from his vehicle,” Cranford wrote.
The deputies rendered aid to Minniefield, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Minniefield was found to be in possession of pills, which authorities believe were ecstasy, and marijuana, the news release said. A toxicology test found that he was positive for methamphetamine.
Investigators also discovered that Minniefield was out on bond for two probation violations, after being convicted of felony obstruction of law enforcement, violation of the street gang terrorism and prevention act and misdemeanor family violence battery.
Additionally, authorities said he faced new charges before the August crash, including felony family violence battery and two separate violations of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act. The DA’s office added that Minniefield had a suspended driver’s license.
The GSP’s file presented to the DA included incident reports, dash camera video, body worn camera video, photographs and technical sketches of the crash scene, toxicology reports, Minniefield’s autopsy report and radio traffic from the night of the incident.
According to the DA’s office, Thompson’s actions that night were justified and he will not be prosecuted.
“Deputy Thompson was permitted to use deadly force to apprehend Mr. Minniefield as a suspected felon who was using a car as an offensive weapon that was likely to result in serious bodily injury,” Cranford said. “For the same reasons, Deputy Thompson was permitted to use deadly force against Mr. Minniefield in order to prevent a forcible felony and in order to prevent great bodily injury to everyone else on the road that night. Mr. Minniefield’s danger to the public at the time of the crash was heightened by the fact that the high-speed chase was approaching a residential area.”
Minniefield’s mother, Tanaka Jones, told the DA she disagrees with the decision and wants everyone who was responsible for her son’s death to be held accountable. According to Jones' statement released by Cranford’s office, “her belief is predicated off Deputy Thompson’s deliberate and unjustifiable decision to use deadly force towards Mr. Minniefield when such force was unnecessary and was done in complete disregard to the life of Rafael.”
In other news:
About the Author
