ISP: Safety top priority in high-speed pursuits

When bad guys flee, police pursue. But in just the last few weeks, there have been multiple chases in eastern Idaho where officers have had to end things early.

Idaho State Police tell Local News 8 officers will end a chase when it starts to pose a risk to the public.

“They’re constantly weighing the risks to the public, to themselves, even to the offender,” said Lt. Ismeal Gonzales.

On Tuesday, an Idaho Falls woman led police from multiple agencies on a 133-mile chase from Blackfoot to Jerome. It sometimes reached speeds of 120 mph.

Officers from ISP District 5 had to temporarily end the chase until it picked up again in District 4.

“There was probably a distance in there of 30 to 34 miles that nobody was chasing her,” said Gonzales.

Two weeks ago, deputies with the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office also had to temporarily end a chase when the man they were pursuing dodged spike strips and almost hit a semi while traveling the wrong way on an I-15 on-ramp. He was headed straight for Pocatello city limits.

“In town, you have intersections, cross streets, school zones,” said Gonzales.
Which is why he said ISP tries to keep the danger contained to the interstate when possible.

“We’ll attempt to set up spikes. We will block intersections and off-ramps to keep the suspects on the interstate,” said Gonzales.

Gonzales said that after every pursuit, ISP automatically launches an internal investigation to determine if pursuing officers could have done anything differently.

He said the agency that starts the chase usually has jurisdiction over it unless that agency chooses to hand it over to another agency.