Seattle undercover detectives may have violated police department rules on June 21st when they pursued a driver in a high speed chase. The department’s rules state that “unmarked cars shall not participate in pursuits.” Police say that Jesse James Toro II cut off three undercover officers in traffic which resulted in a high speed chase. Prosecutors say Toro then shot the tires out of the officers’ SUV.
Police conduct expert witness D.P. Van Blaricom, a former Bellevue police chief, says there is good reason for the regulation against unmarked cars getting involved in high speed pursuits. The problem of chasing somebody in an unmarked car is that they don’t know who the hell is chasing them,” said Van Blaricom, who frequently testifies as an expert witness regarding police conduct.
Toro’s defense claims the officers chased Toro at speeds of more than 100 miles an hour and broke departmental rules reports the SeattlePI.com http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/.