Chicago police will no longer be allowed to chase people on foot
CHICAGO — Chicago police officers will no longer be allowed to chase people on foot simply because they run away or they've committed minor offenses, the department said Tuesday, more than a year after two foot pursuits ended with officers fatally shooting a 13-year-old boy and 22-year-old man.
The new policy adheres closely to a draft policy put in place after those shootings and gives the department something it has never had: permanent rules about when officers can and can't engage in an activity that can endanger themselves, those they're chasing and bystanders.
Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said he expects the new policy will make the officers and the public safer, as has happened in other cities with similar policies.
"The impact on crime has been studied (and) we can look back at what has made officers safer, has made communities safer for over a decade," he told reporters at a press briefing on the policy, which he expects to be in place by the end of the summer after all officers receive training.
Under the policy, officers may give chase if they believe a person is committing or is about to commit a felony, a Class A misdemeanor such as domestic battery, or a serious traffic offense that could risk injuring others, such as drunken driving or street racing.
