140 MPH Chase Of Motorcyclist Questions Police Pursuit Tactics And Safety

A nearly-twenty minute police pursuit resulted in no arrests but a great deal of risk in Arkansas in late September. Dashcam video shows the entire interaction and the numerous times that the rider, police, and bystanders were at risk of serious harm. The incident calls into question the tactics used throughout the pursuit.

Right off the bat let’s be clear that criminals who flee from police aren’t the good guys. Many times it’s their actions that endanger the public and it’s that risk to public safety that has led some police to engage in dangerous tactics to stop chases as quickly as possible. Other departments go with a less direct approach.

It’s clear which side of the coin the Arkansas State Police fall on though. In the following video, we see Trooper Matthew Walker speed along residential streets in an effort to catch up to the suspected speeder. As he initially closes the gap the rider speeds off and Walker engages his lights and sirens as the pursuit begins.

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As they close the gap around roundabouts it seems as though the motorcycle rider isn’t all that familiar with the bike. He sticks his foot out on the inside of the turn almost as though it’s a dirt bike and he’s trying to stay up. The concern of the officers for this member of the public is on clear display as we hear one say “Lay that bike down bitch.”

Lay the bike down he does not though and the pursuit continues onto the highway. There, Officer Walker speeds past a number of bystanders on both the left and right of the cruiser at 140 mph (225 km/h) and faster. At one point in a curve, it sounds like he says “Come on dude let me hit you,” to the rider just ahead of him.

After no less than 19 minutes of pursuing the suspect, the rider crashes the bike in the center median of the highway. The officers don’t notice the crash until they’ve passed the rider so they turn around and drive in the median to continue the chase. By the time they catch up, the rider is already across the opposing side of the highway and running into the woods.

Six minutes of searching on foot were all these troopers could stand it seems though as they give up and come back empty-handed. The question is whether or not all of that high-speed highway driving amongst innocent bystanders was worth the inherent risk posed to the public.

It’s worth noting that Arkansas State Police officers aren’t required to use their lights and sirens at all times. That’s true too of cases like this one where the officer in question speeds past traffic in a 35 mph (56 km/h) zone at 80 mph (129 km/h) without any warning signs. Whether or not that’s “safe” is above our pay grade.

Image Credit: Police Pursuits