How dangerous is a foot chase for a cop?

Shorten the distance and you shorten your reaction time. This is almost always dangerous for you, the officer. The public sees so many foot pursuits on television that they, and unfortunately many officers themselves, fail to realize just how inherently dangerous these foot pursuits really are.

Why do police officers chase suspects until they catch them?

Unfortunately, this rarely happens. More often than not, officers become emotionally captivated by the event and have an instinctive reaction, rather than a studied and planned response to resistance and chase without considering the inevitability of suspect capture. In other words, they chase the suspect until the suspect catches them.

What happens when a police officer tackles a suspect?

The officer tackles the suspect. There is a violent struggle for the weapon, and the officer shoots and kills the suspect. An officer attempts to effect an enforcement stop on a motorist for a hit and run accident.

How do officers decide when to call off a chase?

Officers will typically stay in radio contact with a supervisor throughout the chase, keeping the supervisor apprised of the situation. If it gets too risky, the supervisor can call off the chase. It’s important that someone not directly involved in the chase make these decisions, since they can keep a cooler head and be more objective.

How many police officers receive foot pursuit training?

Instructors for the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program begin each class addressing foot pursuit by asking students, How many officers received some form of foot-pursuit training from their respective agencies? On average only 1 to 3 percent of class participants give an affirmative answer.

How dangerous are foot pursuits?

The public sees so many foot pursuits on television that they, and unfortunately many officers themselves, fail to realize just how inherently dangerous these foot pursuits really are. The situation for the officer and suspect can literally and irrevocably change in the blink of an eye and can have fatal consequences for each.

Do suspects stop fleeing during police pursuits?

During years of training officers in decision making, instructors have heard a wide array of responses concerning the behavior of fleeing suspects during pursuits. The anecdotal information has indicated that officers realize suspects will not continue their recklessness forever and at some point will slow down.