What are the No-Chase Laws in Louisville, KY?
Written by Cooper & Friedman PLLC on May 22, 2024
Safety on the road and around motor vehicles is dependent on a lot of factors. Police departments and lawmakers try their best to keep pedestrians and drivers safe with a myriad of traffic laws and policies. ‘No-chase laws,’ or police pursuit policies, are one of these. States or counties implement no-chase laws to lessen the dangers posed by high-speed police chases.
We all see police pursuits in movies and police TV shows as chases with flashing lights and squadrons of cars zooming through city streets and back alleys. However, in these media outlets, we usually see the result in its ideal form: with minimal damage, minimal disruption, and minimal injury. This is not the case when it comes to pursuits in real life. There is a very real risk of harming or even killing innocent citizens as a consequence of car or motorcycle chases. When it comes to police activity and criminal apprehension, there is a point in which officers must make a decision:
Is further pursuit necessary? Do the risks outweigh the rewards? Is apprehending the criminal worth potentially putting bystanders in danger?
To help make these decisions, no-chase laws often outline the limitations and exceptions for police chases. A clearly-defined pursuit policy achieves several ends:
- It gives officers a clear understanding of when and how to conduct a pursuit.
- It helps reduce injury and death.
- It maintains the basic police mission to enforce the law and protect life and
property. - It minimizes municipal liability in accidents that occur during pursuit
Currently, only California, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington have state-wide no-chase policies. Otherwise, these laws are left up to the smaller governments.
What are the No-Chase Laws in Louisville, KY?
Louisville’s no-chase laws have been revised several times in the last decade or so. The most recent revision was in 2022, and the decisions made then are still applicable today. In order to chase a vehicle, officers must:
- Have reason to believe that the driver is guilty of committing a violent felony,
- Have reason to believe that the driver is wanted for committing a violent felony,
- Know that the driver is someone who has committed a violent felony in the past, or
- Know that the driver is under investigation for allegedly committing a violent felony.
According to the policy, violent felonies include assault, murder, rape, and robbery, amongst others.
Previous No-Chase Laws in Louisville, KY
The most recent change to the no-chase laws is actually very similar to the policy that Louisville held back in 2012. Then, the policy had the same goals: to reduce the death and injury rate relating to police chases. As a result, the number of police chases decreased, as well as the collision, death, and injury rate. However, as those factors decreased, the number of stolen vehicles and violent crimes like drive-by shootings also increased.
In retaliation, the no-chase laws were reverted to allow officers to pursue vehicles that were known to be stolen in 2019. Police chases rose again, along with the number of people sustaining injury or loss of life. By 2020, enough data had been collected, aided by the lawsuits against the police department, to revise the policy to its current version.
Cooper and Friedman, Car Crash Lawyers in Louisville, KY
No-chase laws attempt to make the roads a safer place for everyone. However, they do not guarantee a total ban. Even then, no-chase laws and speed limits can only do so much to deter dangerous drivers. Cooper and Friedman are motor vehicle accident attorneys in Louisville, KY who want to help victims of automobile accidents get the compensation you deserve. Regardless of whether the accident is due to a police chase, a traffic violation, or other means, we’re here for you.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident in the State of Kentucky and are in need of an experienced motor vehicle attorney, give the lawyers at the Cooper & Friedman law firm a call. The attorneys at Cooper and Friedman PLLC have over 50 years of combined experience defending the rights of car crash victims. Contact us with questions you might have or schedule a free case consultation with an attorney by calling 502-459-7555 today.