Kevin Fischer is an award-winning veteran broadcaster who has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for nearly three decades.
Kevin, who is a legislative aide to state Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin), can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, “INTERchange,” on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, in Franklin.
The U.S. Supreme Court today made the correct ruling when it gave police officers protection from lawsuits that result from high-speed car chases. In an era of 5-4 votes by the high court, today’s ruling was a clear 8-1 decision in favor of law enforcement.
The ruling came in a case involving a Georgia teenager who was paralyzed after his car was run off the road by a deputy in March of 2001.
I talked about the case when I filled in for Mark Belling on WISN earlier this year, taking the position that law enforcement must be allowed plenty of discretion in high speed chases. To take away their ability to chase after getaway criminals would send the terrible message to lawbreakers that all you have to do is drive like hell to avoid getting caught. Sheriff David Clarke called in and correctly predicted the Supreme Court would rule the way it did.
USA TODAY gave this background of the case in an article in February 2007:
It was 10:42 p.m. when Clinton Reynolds, a Coweta deputy, clocked (Victor) Harris at 73 miles an hour in a 55-mile-an-hour zone. Reynolds flashed his lights, then turned on his siren and gave chase in light traffic.
Four minutes later, Harris turned into a strip mall parking lot. (Timothy) Scott, who has joined the pursuit by this time, tried to head off Harris in the parking lot. Their cars collided, though not seriously enough to slow either one.
The chase continued on Georgia Highway 74 and Scott asked to take over the lead pursuit.
"Let me have him, 78," he said, using the number for Reynolds' car. "My car is already tore up."
A few seconds later, Scott asks permission to execute a "Precision Intervention Technique," intended to cause the fleeing car to spin and stop.
"Take him out, take him out," Scott's supervisor said over the radio.
But Scott decided they were traveling too fast for the maneuver, so he rammed Harris' car, hitting it in the rear on the driver's side.
Almost immediately, Harris veered to the left, then sharply right and off the road. Scott brought his cruiser to a stop and the camera picked up the smoking, crumpled Cadillac resting near a telephone pole.
Scott approached the car with his gun drawn, then quickly concluded Harris was no threat.
The chase lasted six minutes, with Scott in the lead for less than a minute before he took the decisive action.
While it is unfortunate that Harris was paralyzed, you must take into consideration the following:
Harris was speeding. When he saw the police lights in his rear-view mirror, he should have pulled over.
Instead, he hit the accelerator, leading police on a dangerous chase, at times going 90 mph.
Harris endangered the lives of many other motorists.
He could have ended the chase after being rammed the first time. He didn’t and kept on running.
The chase lasted six minutes. Harris had ample time to think the better of the situation and pull over. He refused.
Harris could have avoided this whole mess, including his serious injury, had he done the right thing and pulled over. It’s not the deputy’s fault Harris became paralyzed, it’s Harris’ fault.
Police must retain the ability to engage in high speed chases; otherwise the message to criminals will be that they can escape capture by simply fleeing.
The high court made the correct decision.
