The vast majority of police chases are completely unnecessary with modern technology and risk the lives of innocent bystanders. This was before anyone introduced explosive weaponry to the equation. The California Highway Patrol claims the driver of a stolen vehicle tossed a grenade out of the driver’s side window during a pursuit through Berkeley last month. Thankfully, the device didn’t detonate and blast a residential neighborhood with shrapnel.
The police chase began in Oakland when a CHP officer pursued a vehicle reported stolen after the driver refused to pull over. The pursuit continued into Berkley, and the driver allegedly threw a bag out of the car. The fleeing driver then turned down a dead-end street when he abandoned the vehicle, and he was apprehended on foot. However, the chase itself would quickly become the least of everyone’s concerns.
A CHP officer not involved in the chase picked up the tossed bag, looked inside and found the grenade. The surrounding homes and businesses were evacuated and the University of California, Berkeley Explosive Ordinance Disposal team responded to the scene. The bomb squad secured the grenade and confirmed it was live. Most worryingly, the pin was partially pulled. The driver was charged with multiple felonies, including possession and transportation of a destructive device, possession of a stolen vehicle, evading police, and resisting arrest.
Unpredictible escalations are why police chases shouldn’t happen
Throwing a live grenade is a level of escalation that you would typically see in Grand Theft Auto. The danger of police chases comes from all the unknowns that could arise. The officers would have handled that situation differently if they had known there was a grenade in the car. Afterwards, in an abundance of caution, the UCPD EOD team searched the stolen vehicle and the driver’s residence and found no other explosives. Yes, catching an alleged car thief is something the police should do, but no one should jeopardize public safety over it.
It takes two to tango, and some police departments have realized how pursuits endanger the public just to protect property and have adopted no-chase policies. However, other agencies have spent portions of their budgets on gadgets specifically for car chases. A sheriff’s office in Olympia, Washington used a grappler to end a pursuit last November. The stolen car just happened to be going 100 miles per hour when the Batmobile-like tool was deployed. The car spun off the road, plowed through a fence and hit a tree. The driver was apprehended, so justice was served, I guess.
