The Pit maneuver was just coming into being as I was leaving the State Patrol. One of the things they were telling us is you have to be precise in how you do it or you will wind up wrecking also. What got this trooper was the fact that they got tangled up and the trooper got drug into the ditch pushing the pickup and it made a natural jump for the patrol car. That would have been a heck of a ride and the trooper would have had time to think about his life before he hit the ground again. Looks like he made it out alive. Not so much for the perp.

I never understood the idea of thinking you could outrun that many cops.

not that I would have any way to tell but that doesn't really seem like 100mph+ from the cars he is passing and white lines in the road going by

Pfft...I drive like that daily.

😬🦫

I'll bet the trooper's back will never be the same again. The force placed upon it from the multiple directional stresses had to have done major damage to his vertebral discs.

Helluva wreck. I give it 5 stars.

For sure!!

What I don’t understand in a lot of cases is why it is necessary for officers to endanger themselves and the public at large by continuing pursuits, in built up areas especially, for cases where no indication that a clear and present danger to the public will continue after a pursuit is terminated. No knowledge of why this guy was fleeing, but he died, a cop nearly did, and large numbers of folks were exposed to serious risk in the effort to get him. Hope it was worth it.

I am not a cop, never been one, so have no frame of reference to work from other than seeing one guy doing stupid things in traffic with usually several cops doing what appears to be the exact same things right behind him. Things that are hugely risky for anyone, including the cops themselves. Have seen cops locally just back off when a person runs, and the cretin gets arrested later without incident at home, because some savvy cop got his plate number and they just went to his house. I realize this is not always a workable strategy, but it seems to be a pretty good one when it works.

52 second version.

If only he was in the General Lee

What is the possible reason to continue a high speed pursuit in crowded roads at this speed, in a pit maneuver , the lighter vehicle tends to lose. I can only imagine that legal ramifcations greatly out way the cost of apprehension of the suspect.

Most late model vehicles have a 99 mph limiter. Leo vehicles don't wonder why that meathead even thought he had a chance?

There are some rare exceptions but my department’s policy states “ the need for immediate apprehension must outweigh the risk posed to the public, the officer and the offender including passengers”. It’s not perfect but it eliminates pursuits for minor traffic infractions and most property crimes.

trooper might have gotten too much truck, needed to just clip further back on the truck for a better out come.

Yee Haw....

some funny comments under the video.

"Sir, we've been trying to contact you about the extended warranty service on your dodge pickup"

He ran a red light,

So of course that justified every cop within miles to take off like rabid dogs and run him down until they killed him.

At approximately 6:30 a.m. Friday (April 10), an officer of the U.S. Forest Service initiated a pursuit of a southbound vehicle on U.S. Highway 71.

According to law enforcement officials, the officer had reportedly witnessed the vehicle fail to stop for a traffic signal

So screw everyone driving, walking or living anywhere near the roads, we gots us red light runner to mow down.


Arkansas State Police 109 MPH PIT Maneuver

Real World Police

Published on Jan 16, 2021
From the report of Trooper Shawn Ellis, lightly edited for clarity:

On April 10, 2020, at approximately 6:40​ AM, Troop H dispatch advised that Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office was requesting assistance with a pursuit. Deputies were pursuing a black pickup, driven by Justin Battenfield, which had recklessly driven through several traffic lights without stopping and was passing traffic on the shoulder of U.S. 71.

The pursuit of Battenfield has been initiated in the area of Ingersoll Circle and U.S. 71 at approximately 6:36 AM by a Forest Service Ranger. At approximately 6:53​ AM, I checked In-Service with Troop H Dispatch and traveled towards U.S. 71 from State Highway 45.

At approximately 6:54​ AM, at the intersection of State Highway 45 and U.S. 71, I joined the pursuit as it traveled north on U.S. 71, soon becoming the lead vehicle in the pursuit. While pursuing Battenfield, he traveled through several traffic lights and passed multiple vehicles while driving on the shoulder before turning east onto Zero Street. This particular section of Zero Street (SH255) is a four-lane roadway, divided by a continuous center turn lane and was at the peak of a hill crest. In the area of 66th Street, the pickup began crossing into the westbound traffic lanes meeting traffic at a high rate of speed.

After I relayed the suspect’s actions to Troop H Dispatch, Sgt. Brandon Margis advised that due to Battenfield’s extremely reckless driving, and lack of due regard for the safety of the public that I needed to get the pickup stopped immediately. I then attempted a PIT maneuver to stop the vehicle. While executing the PIT, my unit collided with the passenger side of the suspect vehicle. As a result, both vehicles traveled off the roadway and into the east side ditch.

Battenfield’s vehicle collided with a driveway culvert while overturning and my unit went airborne as it traveled over Battenfield’s vehicle. Battenfield sustained fatal injuries and I sustained multiple serious injuries."

Not a wise move to chase a vehicle at that speed through miles of heavily populated areas.

I know I'm Monday Morning Quarterbacking.... But if I'd been a supervisor I'd have called the chase off long before the crash.

I sure wouldn't try a pit at those speeds.

Unless you are in hot pursuit of a murder suspect or mass killer, there's no excuse for endangering as many lives as they did during that whole chase. (And even then, you pull close enough to blow their head off, not continue a long pursuit.)

It makes me sick at my stomach to think of a family van full of kids pulling out in front of that. Or a school bus.

In the case of misdemeanor suspects, many departments now simply record the license plate of the vehicle, and if it's not stolen, break off the chase.

When the suspect gets home, the cops are waiting for him, usually with an arrest warrant..

As I recall from PIT training, at speeds above 50 Mph, it’s very difficult to predict where the vehicle will come to a stop. Below that you pretty well know where the vehicle will come to a stop.

You high jump over p’ups daily? WOW!

There will be an out-pouring (mostly from family members) about what a really great guy the offender was: how he was really getting his life back together, would give you the shirt off his back, and the rest of the usual.

Beave, You'd be right at home bangin' with the brothers in Miami.

Lol.

Was heading to the corner to get a gallon of milk for Grandma.

Some years back, our Sheriff and some deputies chased a guy at high speed across county and maybe state lines. Finally caught him and roughed him up a bit. Not sure what the initial offense was, but the Sheriff ended up in prison for violating the guy’s civil rights.

Bet he’d like to have that one back.

Especially cops with radios. 😳

I can’t believe you guys are trying to make a reason a cop shouldn’t stop someone for breaking the law. If they quit chasing because of traffic every thug and crackhead would basically get away because they know they wouldn’t be pursued. Just obey the dam law and pull over and do what cops say. Would save a lot of unneeded shootings too, I mean hell if I was a cop and had someone pulled over and they get out of the vehicle and bailed back in I would be shooting their ass to. That’s why I’m not a cop and neither are most of y’all!

There's a time and a place for high speed pursuits.

110mph through heavy traffic over a misdemeanor ain't one of them.

I watched, skipped though the 1 hour version.

In the end, it really didn't look like a pit. Looked more like a NASCAR bump & grind for the lead. And, both fugged up. Well the runner fugged up for being the runner in the first place.

But the cops? WTF are radios, all those blocker maneuvers, & the tire blow out thingies for??? Stupid chit, chasing a pickup truck at 90-100 for miles. Just fugging stupid...typical.

Wow and he hit and cut two poles...
Big points for that!
Sorry for the officer.

Wonder what that trooper was thinking when he launched?

Was the runner a groid or crackhead......??

Earnhardt would have wrecked him & kept on going to take the checkered flag....................

MM

They were running about 70-80 MPH.

LEO Spotter: You're clear on the right side to go around him.

LEO Driver: Can do

Truck Spotter: Block right side

Truck Driver: I go it.

LEO Driver: I'm taking him out, we're a lap down anyway.

LEO Spotter: NOOOOOOOOO

LEO Driver: Hold My Beer.

YeeeeeHaaaaaaaaw!!

That's where I am.

But...he'll do it until that happens if you don't roll him now.

Did the officer survive?
I assumed he didn't...


I hope that I was wrong.

Officer did. But was injured.

Runner didn't.

Cool.

That was exciting, just watching got my adrenaline up. Still, they had his plate #, they could have probably looked him up later.

Agree 100%, especially since his original infraction was running a red light.

He would have claimed that he wasn't driving, it was stolen, and his momma and the rest of the family would have sworn he was with them at Bible study.

Hitting those poles likely saved the officers life. They allowed him to brush off some energy before impact. They also reduced the effect of gravity on the energy equation.

Which made him a hero to many.

That's sure happened before.

I remember one chase that was called off, and after it was called off the runner hit a car at a red light because "the guilty flee when no man pursueth." Fatal wreck.

I'm all in favor of a mag dump through the roof on the drivers side from the police helicopter.

Now we're getting somewhere.

Probably.

Nope 109mph.

Look at the GPS speed indicator at impact. (Lower left corner)

Cops should never pursue anyone who runs from the cops. That's a smart idea.

Well, they aren't allowed to stop looters, rioters, and arsonists.

Could have had a stolen plate off a Prius on that truck. If that scumbags was allowed to get away once he would certainly have done it again and again and killed someone eventually.

No, that's not good either.

I worked for a PD that would let you pursue until you reached the city limits. It was a game killer if they beat you to the city limits. So every low-life idiot knew this policy, and we'd have 3-4 weekly high speed pursuits to the city limits... or until they wrecked out.

That was a stupid policy. The Chief wasn't too bright. We kept telling him why there were so man high speed pursuits. But he never changed the policy.

It's a well known fact the Texas Highway Patrol WILL stop you. Even if they shoot the car out from under you, or the driver himself. Used to be that if you wanted to shoot your gun, you joined the Texas Highway Patrol.

Take a vacation and see see how the heathens about 1000 miles south handle it.

I seen the second car up to 129 one time on the reader.

Lead car was a Charger, not sure if the whole shift has Chargers, bound to be a Vic mixed in there. Maybe the second car was a Vic after seeing the 129 mph ‘top out’
Or could have just been coincidence


The 2004–2011 Police Interceptors (Ford P71) are equipped standard with an open 3.27:1 rear axle (Axle code Z5), with a trac loc 3.27:1 rear axle (Axle Code X5) optional, and are electronically limited to 129 mph (208 km/h) due to critical driveline speed limitations.

What was the Piss Fir Henry doing in town pulling someone over for a minor traffic violation?

You KNOW there was at least one Crown Vic., otherwise they would have all broke down.

Misdemeanor? How do you know the guy didn't have warrants out? Drugs? Murderer? The guy ran for a reason, play stupid games................

TV. They all get stopped for a minor traffic violation on their way to their first college class after rescuing a litter of bisexual puppies.

I bothered to read the story..............

The guy in the pickup was also the local retard, When I read that I was sure it was going to be one of a handful of members here but that didn't pan out.

Had the same thought. That was so Dukes of Hazzard.

Well who haven't we seen lately?

RAMBO EGO

Jeff0 is one.

Browsing around, the fleeing driver was one Justin Battenfield, 34yo, brand new (to him) truck, living on social security on account of a mental disability.

LEOs need a drone on board, kinda like a trunk monkey. Launch that dude and just watch the fun.

Some folks have a hard time seeing the big picture because they don't see it every day. I have let many go before I got involved in as much as a common traffic stop because the risks didn't out weigh the rewards. You will never hear about or see anything about those kinds of near stops because they don't generate news or even a traffic ticket. But, there comes a time when you have to stop someone because they are dangerous or because they are doing dangerous things. Most are just violating a traffic law. The last kid shot in Minnesota was wanted on a felony armed robbery warrant. Did your local media tell you that ?

George Floyd was operating a motor vehicle under the influence of several drugs including meth and fentynal. He was a collision just waiting to happen but it appears Officer Chauvin got to him first. Stop him or let him go ?? I say officer Chauvin deserves a Life Saving's award for getting that guy off the street and out of his 4000 pound deadly weapon. Officer Chauvin deserves to be recognized for that act alone. I have no heartburn that George Floyd died while under the influence of several highly dangerous drugs. Some of which he just swallowed to hide as the officers approached his vehicle.

If we stopped making traffic stops then NO ONE would stop for any reason. No traffic laws would ever be enforced. Except when we respond to a traffic collision. (I hated doing traffic collision reports) And there will be many of those. And, many of those would be operating while under the influence of something (drugs or alcohol) or driving while under suspension or even barred from driving. Someone has to be enforcing driving laws because driving is a privilege that must be practiced by people who are willing to abide by the written laws. At least 1 out of 10 drivers was/is under suspension or driving while barred every minute of every day. You know they have no insurance and don't really care what your rights as a safe driver or other occupier of the roadway are. Your God given rights to be safe and unharmed mean absolutely nothing to them.

Literally thousands of cars passed by me every day and only a relatively few got stopped. Pretty much everyone else was safely driving within the confines of the law. Why, because someone was enforcing traffic laws reminding them that they can lose their privileges to drive if they are not doing it in a safe manner. Your elected representatives have defined those confines in a Legislative act or law. But, sometimes you have to take that extra effort to stop and apprehend those who refuse to behave like civilized men and women.

You said the "cretins get arrested later". Yes, if the driver can be identified that happens. No ID, no arrest. How do you ID ?? You stop and get a look at them and you get a drivers license or some other form of identification. Our world revolved around the stop and getting an ID in order to do our job. NO ONE gets arrested just by a car description alone. Driver ID is required.

I was a police officer for 32 years. I arrested approximately 25 drivers a year during the years I was working the night shift. I was only in on 2 chases in my career. One I let go and the other was 2 kids on a motorcycle. They chose to drive into a wet bean field and all I had to do was walk in and get them. (I got my shoes muddy and wet. That pissed me off) I let hundreds go because the risk was too big to try to make the stop. Many didn't know just how big of a break they got because I chose not to do risky things to get behind them. But, there were some that may have been worth the effort. We will never know.

One more story. I was doing a ride along with a County deputy one night. We heard on the radio a deputy who was trying to make a traffic stop on a early 60's Corvette that was just getting onto an Interstate highway ramp. The "chase" lasted about 30 seconds. The driver of the Corvette took off and left the deputy in the dust. Traffic stop over. Less than 10 minutes later we get a call about a bad accident at an interstate exit just a few miles from us. We get there about the same time as the rescue gets there. The passenger in the car was DRT. (dead right there) The Driver had an obvious severely broken neck but was struggling to breath. The top of the 1963 Corvette including the windshield were about 20 yards away under a gasoline hauling semi. Nothing below the dashboard had as much as a scratch on it. Someone took some time to rebuild and restore this Corvette.

The passenger was taken out and put on a back board and loaded into a second rescue vehicle. He was going to the funeral home. The driver was being treated while he was still in the car. He had a partial can of Budweiser between his legs and he did not spill one drop out of that can. That is until one of the rescue guys pulled it out from between his legs and threw it onto the floor board of the car. I wish I would of had a camera with me just to get a picture of that beer can between his legs.

The two occupants of the Corvette were brothers. The brother riding was DRT. The brother driving had just finished restoring the car. They were out celebrating. The driver dies 2 days later. The chase "started" about 15 miles and less than 10 minutes away from the ending. It seems the Corvette came off the ramp and sieved itself underneath the gasoline haulers tank. If they would of ducked under the dash, they would both be alive today. The only good part about this story is no innocent persons were hurt. Other than a truck driver who was pretty shook up over the whole deal and was reported as a driver in the State accident report.
kwg

Make it three.
From the first photo...

Many departments do not chase fleeing motorcycles due to the odds I imagine..
Glad the officer survived...

"Jesus take the wheel!"

My take on it is -
He ran "several" stopsigns.
Was obviously at a very high speed.
Passing on the right.
Endangering the traveling public.
Then, it got worse. Crossing into oncoming traffic, trying to cut off the trooper, and basically looking for a wreck (whether he knew it or not)
I'd call it justified, from what I saw - but I'll be the first to state that I didn't see the beginning. That could easily reverse my opinion.

There is the voice of experience.

Well, it appears he is no longer a drain on society, nor a menace to the motoring public. Prayers for the Trooper's full recovery, and his Sergeant's typing fingers.

LOL, holy shlt, my wife and her girlfriends jog in that park on the right, it's Ben Geren, right next to Ft Chaffee.

^^^^^^^^^^^^ Word^^^^^^^^^^^^

I looked up SAPD’s pursuit policy, all the accountability you and your Supervisor can handle plus you have to write a book about it afterwards....

https://www.sanantonio.gov/Portals/.../620VehiclePursuitsAndStopTechniques.pdf

looks like it was a risky move at that speed,also not very rural.but we are all just playing monday morning quarterback without all details.for sure that deal tightened up that officers acorn.

Good post.

+1

whats better than one car doing 120 on a busy road? 3 cars doing 120 on a busy road.

The big picture is he is now one criminally insane misfit less to deal with. People like that young man will sooner or later cause the death or dismemberment of some innocent person or persons. The maneuver didn't end as hoped but the outcome was favorable. May God rest his troubled soul or let the devil do with it as he wishes.

Watch Smokey and The Bandit, a lot.

And the usual talk about what a fuggin’ hero the cop was. All while putting countless people in danger, and destroying a tax payer funded piece of equipment. And no doubt putting himself on tax payer funded disability for the rest of his life.

+1

This is a running trend with Arkansas HP. Why I don't know. But that trooper was ordered by his Sgt to pit that vehicle asap to end the pursuit as it was too dangerous for other motorists (driving into oncoming traffic)

Pursuits are extremely dangerous for all motorists. I'm of the opinion that unless you know for sure there is a serious crime in play, terminate it. But others will say "it could be someone with a murder warrant, or somewhat just committed a crime we don't know about". Ya well f uck it, it's still not worth it anymore.


And I've been in my fair share, some for some dumbsheit too. Live and learn.

Better for a guilty man to go free than an innocent man to suffer.

Less than a half mile east of there a huge intersection with school turnoff, bank, liquor store, Arkansas National Guard offices, Walmart distribution center, then the road narrows to a two lane for about a mile then into Barling Arkansas city limits, if dummy would have blown the intersection without killing 5 people the Barling POPO would have shot his ass, plus, i'm sure Ft Chaffee Range Control was notified, they may have been waiting on the two lane cutoff between the crash site and Barling.

That fugger may have been speeding into a CHIT-TON of hot lead and copper.

When I was a pup I had eluded various law enforcement officers, got caught once. Looking back it doesn’t take much to see how foolish it was. High speed, driving without headlights, endangering others.
Later found out officers had visited my parents residence in the middle of the night just to confirm it was the vehicle, but never disturbed us.
It was a different time, one of the same officers did me a favor later escorted me home one night when my headlights failed.
There was no bad blood, just a cat and mouse game.

I dont know how his neck didnt break.

Seems a little bump to the rt rear bumper would have made the perp lose control.
Heck, even a straight on mild bump at that speed would probably have done it.

Truth. Why didnt they have road blocks set up miles ahead and shoot the sucker to protect the innocent?

Heres what a 50 freaking mile chase here resulted in


https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-man-charged-crash-killed-8-migrants-n1261364
.

Well, thats no fun.

Ohhh, schiett!!!

If the perp were a good driver he would have been able to stay in the left lane until the leo ALMOST got past him, pulled right, clipped the leos driver side rear bumper and pitted him and kept driving.

Heard the perp was a mild vegetable, the dim bulb never should have had a drivers license in the first place, another win for a democrat plan put into law.

Amen.

Im betting a load of 00 Buck through the front hood and glass would result in many perps pulling over.

I’m hoping the guy isn’t in for a lifetime of chronic pain, seems very possible tho.

This.

Im wondering how many here, if driving many of the many big rigs they passed, would have started swerving across both lanes while ahead of the runner had they seen the chase coming up on them from behind.

Just Why? whatever this guy did, was it worth THAT outcome?

yeah I didn't read the entire thread...

if they had the plate number, they couldn't have arrested this guy later?

its not like he'd leave the state....

looks like something dreamed up for a Smokey and the Bandit scene in a movie.

Say what?

Why is the Forrest Service trying to enforce traffic laws?

In reality for Arkansas HP, this is like an avg pursuit for them. Just go watch some of the others.

I suspect within the next couple of years their pursuit policy will undergo an overhaul (due to civil litigation).

Or maybe they just keep performing PIT maneuvers over 100 mph.

Forest Rangers in the Law Enforcement Division can enforce laws on National Forest properties or with the sheriff's consent and being deputized, they can enforce state and local laws within that sheriff's jurisdiction.

I have one friend who is retired from that service, that was commissioned through several agencies, sheriff dept's, etc. But his real job was that he was head of USFS Law Enforcement for NM & AZ. Heckuva great guy! But sadly, the good ones are retired, or retiring soon.

They couldn't pay me to do a pit at those speeds. (Nor order me to...)

Come on now Barry, just think of the stories you could tell your grand kids..........While grandma is feeding you through a tube........

in a different age i was a reserve deputy sheriff, and fully certified. meaning i often took a car home and worked independently.
sheriffs dept contracted with forest service to provide law enforcement in th national forests.
my favorite job.
2 in the morning spotlighting deer.
then there were the times it got serious.
people don't have signs on their head.
i remember one time when the computers were down and traffic stop, the guy h ad to be let go.
20minutes later computers are back on, had a warrent for first degree murder out of calif.
you just neve know.

Thanks for the info. I watched the second video, 50 sec. version, but was watching the chase, and didn't even notice the MPH down in the bottom left corner. It just goes to show, you can't get a real feel for the speed from watching it enlarged on a large computer screen. I was watching how fast the signs were passing by to get some what of an estimate, and I was still off by 30 MPH.

After watching it again, that LEO was damn lucky his car stayed right side up for the majority of that collision. He could have easily gone sideways and rolled, and then gone end over end. The big guy was looking over him there. Hope he isn't in too bad of shape.

He ran many lights and was passing on the wrong side, but I would have preferred they stopped the chase and picked him up later.

Then take his nice vehicle away and his freedom away for a long time.

If that guy had of killed one of my family members I would have been at the hospital cutting off life support to that trooper.

WHAT IF the guy had already killed one of your family members and was fleeing in their stolen vehicle?

But he wasn't LT, the guy had ran a stop sign. Why do you ALWAYS take up for LEO's no matter the situation? To my knowledge you have never found fault with any cop on any thread we have discussed here over the years. Most of the time I agree that it was a good shoot, or whatever the bad guys are doing they deserved what they got, etc. You on the other hand can never find fault with a fuqktard cop.