Let's say the police chase two men into a crowded shopping mall and then, when there a lot of people standing around, the cops open fire on the two. Let's say five or six innocent bystanders catch a bullet.
So it is with police chases. The decision to pursue a suspect at high speeds on public roads is sort of like shooting into a crowd. You don't know who's going to get hit.
On the other hand, does that mean when a suspect runs, the police should just let him go? Wouldn't all offenders run? What if a particular bad guy -- one the police decided not to chase -- later kills an innocent person during a robbery? Could the police have prevented that crime?
To pursue or not to pursue is a tough decision that must be made in an instant. So what would happen if police just stopped chasing people? See today's Bill Torpy at Large.
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