My first pursuit

My first "Police Pursuit" occured at the start of 2003 when I was on patrol with a buddy in a non-standard patrol unit. (In other words it was a marked jeep). The suspect vehicle traveling towards us, ran the red light without ever realizing it was a police car opposite of him. We turned around to shut him down, when the fun began.

We quite literally chased the vehicle around the same block several times before he made a run for it. To say my adrenaline was up and my heart was pumping would be an understatement. My partner and I were both aware that a jeep was NOT the best vehicle to get into a pursuit with, but we did the best we could under the circumstance.

We chased the guy for several more blocks before he suddenly pulled over. My partner was out of the patrol unit, before I was at a complete stop, taking the guy to the ground.

The driver was not licensed, which he professed to be his reason for not stopping immediately. I was pretty sure he was lying, but a search of his person and vehicle produced nothing but a pack of rolling papers.

(I know you old seasoned law dogs out there already know where this is going, but stay with me)

He of course was taken to jail, and his car towed.

The next morning the residents living on one of the corners where he turned, called the station to report that they found a sandwich bag containing almost a whole cookie of crack cocaine in their yard. He threw it. We didn't see it happen, but ... He got away with that one, but we caught him again on another day and that time he didn't get a chance to dump it.

No one was hurt and the event was a success when viewed in that light. Since then I've had numerous pursuits, and everyone of them resulted in either the occupants bailing or the occupants looking for the opportunity to throw something out of the window.

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