Politicians, city council members, and advocates are calling for an end to high-speed chases after an uninvolved driver was killed in Atlanta on April 14.
They called for an end to the policy that allows the Georgia State Patrol to conduct high-speed chases following the death of a 19-year-old who was hit and killed by another driver fleeing the Georgia State Patrol.
“Any mother losing a child is an unthinkable tragedy,” Kate Weaver, a family friend of the victim said. “Made worse only by the fact that this fatal accident could have been prevented.”
The accident happened in Little Five Points, a mixed residential and retail neighborhood in Atlanta.
The group said they are asking Gov. Brian Kemp to ban high-speed chases by Georgia State Patrol.
(Credit: Sarah Kallis/GPB News)
Garrison Douglas, spokesperson for Kemp, said in a statement:
“Those who break the law and act recklessly are to blame for the tragic and needless loss of these lives.”
“It is heartbreaking to see such a young life taken at the hands of a criminal seeking to evade justice. Let’s be clear: the leaders of the rejected ‘Defund the Police’ movement have another bad idea and by misidentifying the Department of Public Safety Commissioner, have proven once again that they lack basic understanding of the facts.
“Those who break the law and act recklessly are to blame for the tragic and needless loss of these lives, and it’s shameful that anyone would seek to diminish the actions of those who caused these deaths and shift blame onto those who put their lives on the line every day to safeguard our communities. It is thanks to the brave and dedicated work of law enforcement and the full rejection of these short-sighted arguments that we have seen a historic drop in crime in our Capital city.”
This article appears on Now Habersham in partnership with GPB News
