Number of MPD pursuits increase, but chase policy hasn’t changed
Wrecking crews hauled off the last pieces of a grisly accident on McLemore Avenue that followed a high-speed police chase through South Memphis Friday, Sept. 28, 2018. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)
Earlier this month, Memphis Police Department officers attempted a traffic stop on a teenage boy driving a stolen Chrysler 300.
The teenager drove off instead, and after officers began to pursue him, he eventually ran a red light and caused a five-vehicle crash, killing three women and injuring six other people near the intersection of Raines Road and Kirby Parkway.
Not all police chases turn deadly, but according to local data, they do have a tendency to cause some sort of harm, whether to innocent bystanders, property, officers or the suspects.
Memphis police cleared 14% of major crimes in 2023
According to comments made by MPD Assistant Chief of Police Services Don Crowe last November, MPD’s policy is to only pursue suspects in cases of violent felonies, as based on national best practices set forth by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. On the other hand, some local leaders suggest MPD’s policy of only pursuing suspects in certain instances is helping to drive the area’s crime rate.
A Daily Memphian investigation into MPD vehicular pursuits, as evidenced by data provided by the department, shows an uptick ...
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Memphis Police Department Assistant Chief of Police Services Don Crowe Jasmine Kinds Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
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Julia Baker
Julia Baker covers Memphis and Shelby County’s law enforcement agencies and is a member of The Daily Memphian’s public safety reporting team. A lifelong Memphian, Julia graduated from the University of Memphis in 2021. Other publications and organizations she has written for include Chalkbeat, Memphis Flyer, Memphis Parent magazine and Memphis magazine.
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