Q: Recently, a woman in Washington led police on a car chase near the Capitol. It was reported that she was unarmed. Why was it necessary for police to shoot and kill her as opposed to shooting out her tires?
—Scott Pirnie, Atlanta
A: Law enforcement authorities have had few comments about the shooting death of Miriam Carey that ended a car chase near the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 3. Carey, who was driving a 2010 Nissan Infiniti, refused to stop at a checkpoint near the White House and knocked over an officer before driving toward the Capitol. She struck a U.S. Secret Service vehicle before Secret Service agents and U.S. Capitol Police fired at the vehicle, according to information from a search warrant posted by The Washington Post. Carey began driving in reverse when officers fired more shots into the car, killing her near a Capitol guard booth. At least 17 shots were fired at the car, the paper reported. Officers in the District of Columbia are prohibited from shooting "at or from a moving vehicle unless deadly force is being used against the officer or another person," according to guidelines enacted in 1998. They also state: "a moving vehicle is not considered deadly force." Terrance Gainer, the U.S. Senate's sergeant at arms who also has served as the chief of the Capitol Police, told the Post: "… But the thing that's distinctive about this is it was not your typical traffic violation. … We operate in an environment under the constant threat of attack from suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices."
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
About the Author
