Deputy shoots tire to stop reckless, fleeing driver

[Mark Tyson]

Deputy shoots tire to stop reckless, fleeing driver

Copyright 2003 Times Publishing Company

St. Petersburg Times (Florida)

August 25, 2003 Monday

Police Reports+

CRYSTAL RIVER - Deputies chasing a driver initially wanted on a traffic stop were forced to shoot out one of the vehicle's tires after he rammed a cruiser and attempted to flee, with a 2-year-old child and another passenger also inside the car.

The chase started at about 2 p.m. Sunday on Venable Street, when a deputy saw the driver, identified as Steven Wiebe, 35, who was westbound, run a stop sign. A second deputy was eastbound on Venable and came upon the chase.


Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Ronda Hemminger Evan said Wiebe crossed the center line on Venable, forcing the eastbound deputy off the road. The driver got on U.S. 19 and headed south toward Homosassa Springs, with two deputies in pursuit.

Once the chase reached town, the driver ducked into a shopping center and came out on Halls River Road, where he had to stop at a traffic light. The two deputies boxed in the driver with their cruisers, and he put the car in reverse and rammed the cruiser, Evan said.

Deputy Kathy Settles, who was behind the suspect's vehicle, got out of her car with her weapon drawn and issued several commands for the driver to get out.

Then the traffic light changed and the driver advanced. Deputy Settles fired several shots, hitting a rear tire. The driver continued south on U.S. 19, but the chase ended a few miles later at Whispering Pines Mobile Home Park.

Charges against Wiebe include driving with a suspended license, DUI, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and child endangerment, Evan said. The passenger in the car was identified as Billy Lilly, 36, who was questioned but not charged. The addresses for Wiebe and Lilly and the child's identity were not available Sunday.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Charges against Wiebe include driving with a suspended license, DUI, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and child endangerment, Evan said.

I'll bet they'll really take away his driver's license this time! That'll sure stop him!

 

[QuarterBoreGunner]

I'm curious if the tire was the target; the article is un-clear. If it was the tire, I wonder how common this is? Any LEO want to chime in here?

 

[Norm357]

Not a LEO, but I married one . She said actions such as that at her dept would get you fired.


Norm

 

[Erik]

"If it was the tire, I wonder how common this is?"

Very, very rare, and usually only something to be considered if your superiors are the ones considering.

 

[c_yeager]

I dont know but in all those police chase videos it seems to happen a lot. It seems to stick to the south but i know a few cases where its been done up here. Usually it seems that it only happens in situations where the driver is presenting an immediate danger to the populace. i.e. a deadly force situation anyways.

 

[Josey]

Hey It is against most agencies policy. I have seen 357 Magnums bounce off of tires. In this situation as stated by the reporter, deadly force would be authorized. Shooting the tires out would mean termination in most agencies. Spike strips would be used.

 

[Glockster35]

Nothing like a car chase for running a stop sign. Glad no one was seriously hurt, but PD's are going to have to learn, this is not an acceptable reason to have a dangerous car chase!

 

[c_yeager]

Why is it that the agencies need to learn NOT to chase for minor offences. How about this for a crazy idea. Its not worth it to RUN for a minor infraction. The fact is that if a person runs like that its reasonalbe to assume that they have a reason to do so. I really dont think we should tie the police's hand just because people are willing to commit major crimes to cover up small ones.

 

[Glockster35]

And I don't believe that it is worth the dangerous car chases (which are dangerous to other drivers also), just to get someone on a minor traffic infraction.

I am tired of hearing how police chased someone for a minor infraction, and decided to have a high speed chase...which ended up in the death of an innocent bystander.

While I am involved in L.E. I will not chase someone for the sake of chasing them. Not for a simple traffic infraction, I am smarter than that. I can always get a license plate and cite them later...i'm no fool!

If they want to run, let them, once I got a plate that's all I need.

 

[c_yeager]

I agree with you in principle. No it isnt worth a car chase just for some silly ticket. But the thing is most people dont run for just a minor ticket. If a person runs like that an officer has to assume that they are doing it because they did something else. Perhaps they stole the car or have a warrent or any number of other things. How would you feel if you got the license plate and let them go only to find that the car was stolen in a carjacking and that the rightful owner of the car bled to death in the backseat 2 hours later? Or what if the occupants had just left the commission of a major crime in a stolen car? Every cop wants to get that big bust. And its hard to assume that the guy that is running away from you isnt just that. I think this is a good thing. Curtailing chases like this just gives a get out of jail free card to anyone that wants it.

Saying that you should chase people because they might hurt someone while running away is a lot like telling someone to comply with the guy mugging you and that carrying a gun could result in it being used on you.

 

[seeker_two]

Deputy shoots tire to stop reckless, fleeing driver

Shooting the DRIVER tends to be more effective, and reduces recidivism and copycats...

 

[Lone_Gunman]

Did this occur in Hazzard County, Georgia?

My guess is Roscoe P. Coltrain, High Sheriff, did the shooting, on direct orders from Boss Hogg.

I hope Bo and Luke werent hurt.

 

[rick newland]

Glockster35 just remember the initial stop might have been for a minor traffic violation, but there might be more going on the officer don't know about. Remember that TSgt that was killed a few years ago, pulled over a car for speeding and as it turns out the driver just got done killing his wife and in turn killed the TSgt. Don't remember which base but it was in CA. Retired SP/LE

 

[Teufelhunden]

GLockster

While I am involved in L.E. I will not chase someone for the sake of chasing them. Not for a simple traffic infraction, I am smarter than that. I can always get a license plate and cite them later...i'm no fool!

Once you've got a plate, you've got information on who owns the car, but nothing on who's driving it. I agree with Yeager in that if someone runs from the pOlice over a minor moving violation, it's an indicator that there is something else amiss. THere are measures that can be taken to make a chase (which are inherently unsafe) more safe, but cancelling them entirely will only encourage offenders to run, thereby increasing the frequency of feeling criminals, which will increase the net amount of time bystanders are in threat of being hurt by a recklessly driving offender.

As one who's getting into law enforcement, I'm a fan of proactive policing. If someone does something that sets your spidey-sense off, at least follow up on it.

-Teuf

 

[Art Eatman]

glockster35: I was BSing one time with a cop buddy of mine at the Austin, Texas, PD. We got to talking about chases.

Almost every time somebody "ran" from a minor-violation traffic stop, it was due to some other problem. Outstanding warrant for a serious crime, or for being drunk. He commented that if a guy stops and gets out and runs, it's often because he's drunk and has prior offenses for Driving While Stupid. (In drunken cleverness, he thinks that, "But, I wasn't the driver!" will make his fingerprints disappear from the steering wheel. )

I dunno. There's just no such thing as one size fits all. Odds are, there oughta be more discussion within PDs about when to pursue and when not to. I think most of us would agree that the hazards to the public should be the least possible...It's a judgement thing; always has been.

Art

 

[XLMiguel]

Though I'm a bit underwhelmed at the deputy shooting at a fleeing car in an urban(?) setting, traffic stops produce real benefits beyond dealing with poor driving/traffic infractions - they get a lot of 'garbage' off the streets.

This is one of the reasons I really hate radar & red light cameras. They're nothing but revenue generators that have little to do with public safety.

I was once in traffic court (bogus charge - beat the ticket), and it was a most enlightening experience. Amazing number of DUI's and other chronic offenders driving around on suspended licenses. Many were there on 3rd/4th/5th offense, yet court had yet to impound their vehicles or lock 'em up. :banghead:

 

[Glockster35]

Rick,

TSgt Butler was killed at Edwards AFB. There was no chase involved. I had just left there before this incident occurred.

You guys are right, you never know what is going on with the driver, nor what he/she may have just done.

More and more we are seeing that departments are instructing the road officers to not chase for minor offenses. The departments are tired of getting sued.

The particular base I am at, has a no chase policy, no matter what. Heck I can't even drive more than 16 KPH over the posted speed limit...no matter what is going on. It's crazy, but there is a point where one begins to not care about busting the bad guys anymore, and many of the cops on my base have passed that point. The way they see it their hands are bound by politics. I don't know if all the AF has taken this stance though.

Me personally I feel rules are made to be broken...it's better to be tried by 12, than carried by 6...if you know what I mean.

 

[JHill]

"Billy Lilly" HA!

 

[bokchoi]

I know an LEO who shot out the tires of a car that was smashing up an entire block

I was also surprised that he shot out the tires and not at the occpants of the car, but there was definately some fanfare for his good shooting.

I live in Edmonton, Alberta, by the way, and cops opening fire are rare and big news around here.