LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Louisville Metro Police Department is tightening policy on officer pursuits in an attempt to keep both police and the community safe.
In an internal memorandum from late April, obtained through open records this week, Chief Erika Shields told her department she'll be re-implementing stricter, pre-2019 policies outlining when officers can chase fleeing vehicles.
In the memo, Shields wrote she's rescinding Special Order #21-004. The previous chief of police, Steve Conrad, implemented it in 2019 to address violent crime. It allowed police to pursue stolen vehicles on the road.
Now after almost three years, LMPD has reverted back to the previous pursuit directive, where officers can only speed after a suspect if they're believed to be involved in committing a violent felony, or connected to current or previous cases.
Some in the community, like Ernestine Tyus, are calling the decision both smart and long-overdue. Tyus lost her 13-year-old grandson Ki'Anthony Tyus in December 2018, who died as a result of a police pursuit.
Ki-Anthony was a passenger in the car, which LMPD said was stolen. While the driver fled officers, the car -- which police said had five people inside -- lost control and hit a utility pole.
The Tyus family filed a wrongful death lawsuit months later.
"I commend her for doing that. You don't know who's in the car," Ernestine Tyus said in reference to Shields' order. "Because right now, there are a lot of teenagers out here and they want to joy ride. They don't think about the consequences. I'm thinking of other families that may have to go through this kind of tragedy."
It's the kind of risk Shields said she's trying to avoid unless absolutely necessary. In the memo, she called pursuits "one of the most dangerous terrains in our profession," saying it's important officers and supervisors assess and adjust as events unfold.
In a statement sent to us, LMPD said: "LMPD’s top priority remains protecting the public and addressing violent crime. To that end, there must be balance against the reality that very few people in our community are committing acts of violence. The pursuit policy adjustment furthers LMPD’s mission of removing dangerous criminals from the streets while ensuring that our officers are not pursuing offenders for non-violent crimes. Stolen vehicles can be recovered by other measures that do not jeopardize the safety of motorists and pedestrians in our community.”
On Monday, Metro Council President and former police officer David James said the change is the right way to go.
"It's a fine line and a balancing act that has to take place," James said. "Injuring innocent citizens in the process is something you have to weigh a cost and benefit of."
The order comes amid a collection of lawsuits in recent years, beyond just the Tyus family, targeting high-speed pursuits turned deadly.
According to the memo, an exception also applies if the suspect is driving a stolen emergency vehicle. Shields said in that case, an officer may pursue it because of the potential danger to homeland security.
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