From fast forty:
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I suppose that back in the gangster days (when lawsuits weren't so prolific) it was about the only way to stop criminals fleeing down narrow dirt roads. Now, they cannot (department policy) fire their weapons except for the purpose of stopping themselves or innocents from certain, immediate death or great bodily harm (kinda the same restrictions that civilians fall under).
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It's more than department policy, fast, it's the Fourth Amendment. SCOTUS set forth the criteria for shooting at a fleeing suspect in a 1985 decision:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee_v._Garner
The criteria that must be met for using deadly force against a fleeing suspect are outlined here:
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...0&postcount=59
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Personally, I think that they should be allowed to shoot at fleeing suspects (whether in a vehicle or on foot) so long as it doesn't pose a risk to innocents.
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So, in your view, the police may kill someone who, under due process, may be only be imprisoned, and then only if found guilty?