Chicago release video of a deadly pursuit that destroyed a building
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New video of a deadly October crash caused by a driver fleeing from police was released Tuesday afternoon.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) has yet to determine if the threat posed by the driver and his passenger outweighed the possible dangers of a pursuit.
It’s an issue WGN Investigates has reported on extensively, as the city has paid out nearly $100 million in settlements over the past five years.
The incident happened just before 2 a.m. on Oct. 1 when police chased after two men in a black Lexus. The suspects ran a red light, swiped another car and crashed into a building.
Police radio traffic indicated the officers were two blocks back at the time of the crash. The passenger in the Lexus died, while the driver injured his leg. The driver of the car that was hit was not injured.
A preliminary police report said the officers “observed two individuals, believed to be armed, entering a black Lexus sedan. As the officers attempted to investigate, the sedan fled at a high rate of speed and officers pursued.”
Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration tightened police vehicle pursuit policies after officers, suspects and innocent civilians were being injured and killed.
“I’ve been very concerned about police pursuits since I became mayor. The frequency of them, the fact they cause injury, death, property damage, the whole works,” Lightfoot said in June 2020.
Pursuit policy directs officers to decide whether “the necessity to immediately apprehend the fleeing suspect outweighs the level of inherent danger created by a motor vehicle pursuit.”
It also goes further, listing crimes police officers can’t chase for, including traffic offenses, DUI, theft and even possession of a stolen car.
Police said officers found two guns at the scene of the Oct. 1 crash, where officers dragged the driver to safety.
CPD told WGN News the surviving driver ___ despite finding two guns at the scene.