Chicago Considering Requiring Cops to Get Permission to Chase Suspects

Following the death of Adam Toledo, Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot is considering requiring cops to ask for permission before chasing a suspect.

On March 29, armed 13-year-old Adam Toledo was shot dead by police after being told to “drop it.”

On Wednesday, Mayor Lightfoot told media said she is considering a change of procedure for law enforcement officials.

“No one should die as a result of a foot chase,” she said.

As Fox32 reported:

[L]ightfoot is considering a momentous change to Chicago police procedure: requiring officers to get a supervisor’s permission before beginning a foot chase.

During a press conference, personal injury attorney Arturo Jauregui said, “This is a tragedy that could have and should have been prevented had the police department had clear procedures governing the use of lethal force against children during foot chases.”

Alderman Brian Hopkins voiced his concerns with Lightfoot’s considerations, saying, “Of course that raises obvious problems. In the time it would take to do that, the person you’re supposed to be chasing is actually long gone. The point would be moot then.”

The department already has a strict vehicle pursuit policy that limits when police can engage in a car chase.

Brian noted the result of that policy:

“We’re seeing more vehicles flee from police officers because word has gotten out that they’re probably not going to get permission to chase you.”

Brian does, however, agree that cops would appreciate more clear guidance, saying, “I’m sure the officers themselves would agree with me. The more guidance we can give them, the more comfortable they’ll feel when they have to make these high-stakes decisions in the blink of an eye.”