Kristie's Law

Reason for the chase: A Newport police officer was pursuing McKinley, whose license had been suspended for 30 days, about 11:15 p.m. Saturday when McKinley's car struck a Jeep Cherokee at the intersection of Del. 141 and Del. 273.

From the above 6abc.com story: Dead is 40-year-old Erie Dobson, father of two, of New Castle on his way home from a job at Home Depot.

Jason McKinley was fleeing police. He was first spotted driving recklessly along Route 4 in Newport. Police say they tried to stop McKinley's car. McKinley allegedly shot through a residential area and then south of Route 141, outrunning officers. He only stopped when he slammed into Dobson's Jeep.

The Chief says the pursuing officer lost site of the Honda prior to the accident, he says, effectively ending the chase.

Commentary: The Chief's statement may be true, but so often the code of silence prevents the public from knowing for sure. When innocent victims of pursuit are killed, law enforcement spokespersons routinely take this route. This Chief's comments are so familiar. Most of us do not have or receive the facts about these police chases, so every time an innocent person is killed, law enforcement can say to the media and through them to us, these statements:

"The pursuit just got started or the chase just ended." (Read: 3-year-old toddler. Family members of innocent victims know the pursuit was long enough and at a speed high enough to kill and permanently injure their innocent loved ones.)
"We were not chasing; we were 'following' or trying to 'catch up' to the suspect."
"The pursuit was not high-speed."
"We were not chasing period."

I believe that if the suspect had crashed into a tree and was apprehended by the officers who were chasing him, the chief would not have said, "the pursuing officer lost site of the Honda prior to the accident, he says, effectively ending the chase.

Delaware Case Laws
on Police Pursuits