In 1985, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down
"shoot to kill" laws that allowed police to gun down fleeing felons.
The ruling came after years of police excess in which some sheriff's
deputies and beat cops used their guns to execute petty criminals. It's
too bad the court refused to issue the same firm guidelines for
high-speed chases. Cars traveling at high speeds can be as dangerous as
a loaded gun fired into a crowd. And, just as they did by shooting at
fleeing suspects, police too often hand down the death sentence by
chasing traffic offenders. Last week, Katie Sharp, 21, and her
17-year-old passenger, Garrett Gabe, were killed when Georgia state
police tried to stop her after a 66-mile chase. A state trooper
deliberately rammed Sharp's SUV from behind; her vehicle spun and went
airborne before slamming into a tree. [more ]
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