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Letting the bad guy go because doing otherwise would place innocent people in grave danger needs to be more “socially acceptable” amongst our ranks. I think we're starting to see more of this in the pursuit policies of most agencies and I have tried to carry this message over into my training and teaching.
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A.A. +1. Without sounding trite its’ better that 1,000 suspects get away NOW than to needlessly endanger the life of 1 citizen!
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I'm asking because I don't know how I feel yet. I agree that you let the car thief, pimp, purse snatcher get away if chasing him endangers lives of innocent people. A high speed chase on the LA Freeway to catch a car thief is ridiculous. However, do we let them get away without resistance if they are proven to have reckless regard for life, have a gun and have proven they aren't afraid to use it at any time?
The guy in that McDonalds committed an armed robbery in broad daylight with tens of people around. We do not know if he would have just left without hurting anybody. He could have left the back office, rounded up the people and made them hand over their valuables because the back safe wasn't full enough. He could have spotted someone who recognized him and decided to go down in a shootout. He could be an escaped prisoner who needed fast cash and a way out of town. Desperate people who are armed can't be predictable. If you're gonna hold up a busy McDonalds in the middle of the day they your thinking cap isn't on straight to begin with.
If we allow guys who are violent to walk away now, they could and probably will leave a string of dead people along the way. The little girl who died was in the wrong place at the wrong time and I feel sorry for her friends and family. It was not the cop's fault she died and armchair quarterbacking can pin the blame on him 3 out of 4 times but he did what he was trained to do at that moment. When idiots decide to break the law with violence it usually has a tragic ending. Allowing this guy to walk out would not guarantee this little girl would be alive today and if he left without any violence the next robbery could have ended up with 5 or 6 dead. Wait, maybe he would have retired from his score? Yeah, right.