WHY THEY CHASE
Chattanooga Police Department: Only for violent felonies (murder, manslaughter, aggravated assault, armed robbery, rape, aggravated kidnapping, child sexual assaults, aggravated arson)East Ridge Police Department: For violent felonies. Nonviolent felonies, misdemeanor and traffic law violators can be pursued if their actions “clearly pose a threat to the community.”Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office: For forcible felonies, any felony with supervisor permission, and for seven other listed offenses including DUI and aggressive driving.Red Bank Police Department, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Collegedale Police Department and Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office: For anything, unless the risk to the safety of the community, officer or suspect outweighs the need for immediate apprehension.Sources: Vehicle pursuit policies of named departments
On April 17, 2016, Larry Forester decided to flee from police.
He’d done it before and gotten away, more than once. He didn’t want to go back to jail.
So this time, when the deputy’s blue lights flashed in his rearview mirror, Forester hit the gas. He sped up to 110 mph on Dayton Pike in Sale Creek, just after 10:30 p.m., driving on a revoked license. Deputies suspected he was intoxicated, too.
They pursued Forester and his passenger for five miles, until Forester sped through an intersection and smashed into a guardrail. The deputies approached the wreck slowly, yelling for the men to come out with their hands up.