High-Speed Follies

[eauclaireliberal]

High-Speed Follies
By Joel McNally

The good thing about graduating from the Citizens Police Academy is that you never know when it's going to come in handy to know what police officers have been trained to do compared to what they actually do.

For instance, let's say five different law enforcement agencies pursue someone who tried to cash a bad check in a high-speed chase, up to 110 miles per hour, ending in a fatal crash near a crowded suburban shopping mall at Christmastime, killing an 80-year-old innocent bystander.

Because I recently completed a 10-week, 30-hour course at the Milwaukee Police Academy, I can say authoritatively that the chase was not only incredibly stupid, but that it violated police procedures and possibly state law.

The tragedy began when a woman, Lara Strack, tried to cash a $350 check at a Saukville bank. The bank found that the check had been stolen. It got the woman's identification and stalled, waiting for the police.

When the woman drove away, the incident escalated from a petty crime into a tragedy. Local police and sheriff's departments in Ozaukee, Washington and Milwaukee counties all got involved in the high-speed chase that ended with the crash just south of Bayshore Mall. <<<

More: http://www.shepherd-express.com/shepherd/25/53/news_and_views/taking_liberties.html

[patdem]

1. I read that article and all I can say is ARREST the BASTIDS!

They BROKE the law THEY created! A bad check is NOT a threat to the community at large. And as they stated in the article they could have arrested here at ANY time BEFORE this incident. This will cost the city/county many bucks..and rightly so! :grr: