Arkansas State Police (ASP) conducted another controversial vehicle stop, adding to a series of similar incidents. The latest event involved a black Jeep initially recorded traveling at 115 km/h in a 96 km/h zone. Reports indicated the driver bypassed exits and did not pull over. The female officer involved claimed the pursuit had to end.
Dashcam footage revealed the Jeep driver made no aggressive moves during the pursuit. In fact, the driver reduced speed, activated hazard lights, and moved to a slower lane. The female officer's own report even acknowledged the driver had slowed down.
Video: Arkansas State Police
Despite these actions, the pursuit intervention technique (PIT) maneuver proceeded. Inside the vehicle were two young children, one experiencing a medical emergency, which was the father's initial reason for speeding.
The driver, identified as Dillon Hess, informed police he was en route to Arkansas Children's Hospital for a medical emergency. Prosecutors later dropped the charges. However, the Arkansas State Police (ASP) had initially blamed Hess for the situation.
This incident echoes previous controversies involving ASP's use of PIT maneuvers. In 2020, an ASP PIT maneuver overturned a pregnant woman's car. The woman had slowed down and activated her hazard lights while seeking a safe place to pull over on a rural highway at night. She survived and later filed a lawsuit, arguing she was attempting to comply safely. The incident garnered national attention and increased scrutiny of Arkansas's stringent PIT policy.
Cases of mistaken identity also highlight concerns. Earlier this year, an Arkansas trooper lost his job after performing a PIT maneuver on the wrong vehicle on I-630 highway, the same route as this latest incident. A child was also in that car, and the driver had committed no wrongdoing. In 2023, another trooper retired after performing a PIT maneuver on the wrong suspect's vehicle in a separate incident.
ASP leadership has repeatedly defended the use of PIT. The agency argues that fleeing is inherently dangerous, and promptly ending pursuits protects the public.
However, in the case seen in the video, the Jeep had activated its hazard lights, and its speed had decreased. The report did not indicate the vehicle collided with others, swerved dangerously, or posed a life threat at that moment. While prosecutors declined to press charges, another question remains: who will pay for the damaged Jeep? If the family now faces repair costs, in addition to medical expenses, what recourse do they have?
Carscoops commented that Arkansas law permits prosecution for fleeing, which can escalate to a serious felony. However, PIT maneuvers carry consequences far beyond a traffic ticket, sometimes resulting in fatalities.
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