Most fun pursuit I ever had....

Posted on: February 13, 2017 at 15:03:39 CT

Guy's car was seen speeding away from an auto dealership where there had just been some auto burglaries. I locate the car, pull behind it at a stop light, run the tag, and am waiting for the light to turn green so I can pop him. (We were waiting for a left arrow)

Light turns and I hit the reds and spotlight. Get on the PA to tell him to pull over the right as we're in a center lane after the turn. He pauses and turns left in front of oncoming traffic on Santa Fe in Olathe on a hopping Friday night. Takes off across a business parking lot and the chase is on.

We are in a residential neighborhood and I am on his tail. West on Park, South on Burch, etc and really doing a good job letting dispatch know direction of travel. Only problem is my Streamlight has rolled under my feet and I'm afraid it will get under the brake pedal. Get to a long straight street and back off just enough to grab the flashlight and toss it in the back seat.

Street ends in a T-intersection and he turned right. I turn after him to see another patrol car making a U-turn and cross ways in front of me.

Guy takes over my pursuit and is now telling dispatch "he's turning left, he's turning right, etc" but with NO street names. Dude turns into a cul-du-sac and realizes he's screwed but tries to escape through an unfenced back yard. House backed up to railroad tracks and instead of escaping, he makes a big yard-farming donut with turf and dirt sailing into the air. Guy who took over my pursuit bails out and has a shotgun on him, but thankfully doesn't take a shot (he would have if the guy drove straight for him).

So now I'm back in control of the pursuit (had even done the same back yard trip as the suspect) and we're back at it. He comes to a wide "Y" intersection and loses it in the gravel in the center of the intersection and spins into a perfect parallel parking position in front of a parked car.

I pull directly in front of him and prevent him from pulling forward. Another officer pulls right alongside the driver's window, has his gun pointed at him, and says "you move, I'll shoot you".

Dude throws it into reverse and rams right into the car he'd "parked" in front of.

I get him out of his car--along with his running buddy--and get both cuffed.

They had nothing to do with the auto burglaries. They had just gotten out of a court-orderd AA meeting and had just popped open a couple of tall boys when I hit them with the reds.

All that for a stinking probation violation.

Was fun as hell, though.