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IDemo

(16,926 posts) Thu Jul 30, 2015, 01:18 PM Jul 2015

High-speed police chases have killed thousands of innocent bystanders

More than 5,000 bystanders and passengers have been killed in police car chases since 1979, and tens of thousands more were injured as officers repeatedly pursued drivers at high speeds and in hazardous conditions, often for minor infractions, a USA TODAY analysis shows.

The bystanders and the passengers in chased cars account for nearly half of all people killed in police pursuits from 1979 through 2013, USA TODAY found. Most bystanders were killed in their own cars by a fleeing driver.

Police across the USA chase tens of thousands of people each year -- usually for traffic violations or misdemeanors -- often causing drivers to speed away recklessly. Recent cases show the danger of the longstanding police practice of chasing minor offenders.

A 25-year-old New Jersey man was killed July 18 by a driver police chased for running a red light.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/07/30/police-pursuits-fatal-injuries/30187827/

3 replies

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Highlight:

High-speed police chases have killed thousands of innocent bystanders (Original Post) IDemo Jul 2015 OP

My motorcycle mechanic was killed last year when a cop made a u-turn.. frylock Jul 2015 #1

I am an old white woman who thought all my life cops were good guys angstlessk Jul 2015 #2

Welcome to colonial North America. ieoeja Jul 2015 #3

frylock

(34,825 posts)

1. My motorcycle mechanic was killed last year when a cop made a u-turn..

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Thu Jul 30, 2015, 01:22 PM

Jul 2015

in front of him against a red light.

angstlessk

(11,862 posts)

2. I am an old white woman who thought all my life cops were good guys

Reply to IDemo (Original post)

Thu Jul 30, 2015, 01:37 PM

Jul 2015

but in one year I have changed my mind and believe they are our enemies...we are equal to Baghdad residents, and our cops are the military occupiers

ieoeja

(9,748 posts)

3. Welcome to colonial North America.

Reply to angstlessk (Reply #2)

Thu Jul 30, 2015, 02:32 PM

Jul 2015

This is pretty much how the American Revolution started. After the French-and-Indian War, the British Army stayed in North America and took on the role of policing the colonies. And like armies everywhere and always, they were abusive at policing.

Then the British government decided the colonists should pay for the military occupation. And the King's ministers were strict constructionists who decided to enforce outdated laws in the colony. Pretty much everything turned into a mess.

The phrase, "the American Revolution was started by rich, white men who did not want to pay their taxes," is extremely inaccurate. People using that line have listened to too much rightwing propaganda which also insists it was about taxes being too high. The only real problem about taxes in general was its purpose in paying for a hated military occupation of the colonies.

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