NASHUA, N.H. — After a high speed chase that started in Massachusetts ended with a physical altercation in New Hampshire the state police are reviewing several departmental policies.
Mass. State Police Pursuit Policy
FOX25’s Bob Ward looked over the pursuit policy, which was last updated in 2012, and spoke with former Boston Police Superintendent in Chief Dan Linskey.
Officers shall continually evaluate all circumstances surrounding a pursuit. If the degree of danger to the public, the pursuing officer(s), and/or the suspect(s) is greater than the necessity for immediate apprehension, a pursuit should not be initiated, or if in progress terminated.
In this case, the chase began around 4 p.m. in Holden, Mass. and continued for more than an hour reaching speeds of 100 miles per hour before ending 50 miles away in Nashua, N.H.
“We lose more citizens and more cops in car chases than gun fire. There are times when chases need to occur. We need to ensure they are occurring when appropriate for the appropriate amount of time, and if it’s getting out of control, and we are endangering our officers and the public, we need to call them off,” Linskey said,
Officers may pursue felony suspects into other states only when authorized by the Troop Duty Officer.<br/> Station Desk Officer.
In this case, the officers involved were chasing 50-year-old Richard Simone. Police wanted Simone on several warrant charges including assault with a dangerous weapon, which is a felony.
In a statement Thursday, Mass. State Police Col. Richard McKeon said his department is investigating whether it was properly followed.
Use of force
Linskey, now Managing Director at Kroll Security, looked over the SkyFox video of and the images of the end of the chase, when police threw punches at Simone when he was down on the ground surrendering.
He compares that to the way police showed restraint in another chase on April 27, when local police drew their weapons on a fleeing Michael LeBlanc, but did not shoot.
“That’s exactly what we hope our officers will do, to go to their training. Just because the car is driving at you, if you have the ability to get out of the way, that’s what you should be doing,” he said.
The altercation as seen from above could have an impact on police do everywhere, Linskey said.
“That video made it harder for police in NH and Mass. to do their jobs today. It made it harder for police officers in courthouses to get convictions with jurors who are going to be increasingly distrustful of the information police officers are telling them,” he said,
State Police officials from Massachusetts and New Hampshire said they are reviewing whether their policies about use of force were violated.
As of Thursday night one trooper from each state was facing disciplinary actions for the use of force.