Chicago Cops Can Shoot at Fleeing Felons' Cars. Or Not.

Robert Farago
by Robert Farago

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Windy City’s police chief has issued new guidelines for the use of deadly force (shooting people, in layman’s terms). “Chicago cops will now be permitted to shoot at drivers or passengers in cases of felons fleeing in motor vehicles.” And there you have it, minus the shit storm that’s brewing on this bad boy. Of course, all TV cops already have that right, so why not the Chi Town Po-Po? “The liability to the City of Chicago could be astronomical.” Ah. Previously, on America’s Most Amazing Parting Shots, “Officers were allowed to use deadly force to prevent death or great bodily harm to themselves or another person, but it didn’t allow them to use force to apprehend a fleeing forcible felon,” said the paper’s police source. “If confronted by an oncoming vehicle, officers were simply told to get out of the way, unless they were put in great danger.” Good thing the policy told them to get out of the way, I suppose. Anyway, the cops have already gone into damage control mode.

“The Department is currently reviewing the existing order to eliminate unnecessary language, provide officers with more clear direction and comply with nationally accepted best practices, as well as existing state statutes and federal law,” according to a press release. In other words, on second thought, maybe not.

Robert Farago
Robert Farago

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  • PeteMoran PeteMoran on Jul 30, 2009

    Good way to encourage/ensure the felons have a gun to shoot back. Any chance bystanders are MORE likely to get shot? Only in the USA. Yee-ha.

  • No_slushbox No_slushbox on Jul 30, 2009

    Since many Chicago cops are felons does that mean they can shoot themselves? That will be a big improvement for the city.

  • Rpn453 Rpn453 on Jul 30, 2009
    wsn : Here in Canada, an unarmed Polish immigrant was tasered 5 time by an RCMP (Canadian version of FBI) officer, just because he was unhappy with his long wait at the airport customs. Are you talking about the crazy dude Dziekanski who was smashing tables and computers? You should try smashing things in the customs department of another country to see how it compares to Canada and get back to us.
  • Jaybread Jaybread on Jul 31, 2009

    Here in NM we just had a handcuffed felon reach a gun he had hidden in his pants shoot and kill an officer. Luckily, the officer had time to shoot and kill the felon before he bled to death. (The officer was shot in the groin) No doubt, this will be spun to blame the officer, since he and his partner didn't conduct an effective search immediately upon handcuffing the killer...The killer, as it now unfolds, is now suspected in 5 other brutal murders from Canada to California. Every time an officer stops a car, serves a warrant, or conducts a stake out, their life is literally at risk. Maybe we should give all law enforcement a day off each year (They aren't really doing anything anyway but eating donuts) and see what downtown ChiTown turns into by noon?

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