The Jackson City Council is calling for the state Legislature to adopt more stringent state laws to regulate interjurisdictional high-speed police chases after a July 21 chase that began in Pearl ended with a fatal crash after crossing jurisdictional lines into Jackson.
The resolution, introduced by Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley and passed unanimously during Tuesday’s council meeting, urges the state to enact uniform standards for all law enforcement officers to follow when engaging in such chases.
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On July 21, Brad Pennington, 32, a mail carrier, whose truck was overturned after a high-speed chase that began in Pearl ended with the crash at Barbara Ann Drive and Maria Drive in Jackson.
The chase began when Pearl Police attempted to pull over Brandon Andrews, 20, for speeding on Interstate 20, and ended when Andrews crashed his Toyota Camry into the mail truck driven by Pennington in south Jackson. Pennington was transported to University of Mississippi Medical Center where he died from head injuries sustained in the crash.
“This resolution asks the Legislature to come up with some guidelines — it will benefit all municipalities in the state,” Hartley said.
Under current law local municipalities are given the discretion to enact their own rules, Hartley said.
“We need uniform safety guidelines and restrictions,” he said.
A second order, introduced by Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes, authorizes to city to pursue litigation challenging the constitutionality of hot pursuit chases over misdemeanor charges. That order also passed 6-1 with Council President Ashby Foote of Ward 1 voting against.
The existing authority for such pursuits without consideration of the severity of the crime, nor the life-threatening consequences to innocent bystanders, violates due process protections guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution, Stokes’ order states.
“This is not the first person who has been killed over a misdemeanor,” Stokes said.
While the order authorizes litigation, Stokes said he will leave it up to the city’s legal department to determine how to proceed.
Foote defended his vote against the measure, saying he believes litigation would be the wrong approach.
“I agree something needs to be done, but I would rather come up with a common solution,” Foote said.
Foote said he has been in contact with state officials about a proposal that would authorize an interjurisdictional police helicopter to fly over metro Jackson. That way, fleeing vehicles can be tracked from the air, thus avoiding dangerous high-speed chases.
Pearl Mayor Jake Windham has defended the actions of his city’s police officers that resulted in the fatal accident, placing blame for the death on the chase suspect.
Andrews was out on felony bond from the Flowood Police Department on a narcotic charge while in possession of a stolen firearm, Windham said.
Windham also said Andrews is a suspect in a capital murder case in Jackson and that police found a 30-round extended magazine in Andrews’ vehicle after the crash.
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba said that while he and Windham have different positions over the justification of the chase, a meeting with the Pearl mayor on Monday resulted in an agreement by Windham to communicate with the City of Jackson in the future when similar situations arise.
Lumumba also said he believes new technology will increasingly make dangerous high-speed chases obsolete. In addition to cameras now installed in many neighborhoods, some Jackson patrol cars are now equipped with a new system called “Star Chase.” The technology allows an officer to fire a projectile that will attach to a fleeing vehicle. The device then allows police to monitor the vehicle’s location with GPS technology.
Jackson Police Chief James Davis said officers also have devices that can be placed on the streets to disable vehicles by flattening the vehicle’s tires.
“We do have stop strips and if we need to deploy them we will,” Davis said.
Asked what JPD’s policy on chasing suspects is, Davis said, “We’re not going to pursue a person for stealing a piece of gum but if a person has committed a murder or a violent crime we will.”
Ward 7 Councilwoman Virgi Lindsay said that whatever alternative methods can used she will support them.
“My daughter was once caught up in one of those high-speed chases and except for the grace of God we would have been attending her funeral,” Lindsay said.
