Do police chases do more harm than good? We asked local law enforcement leaders

One day after a police pursuit in Garner led to innocent people being hurt, ABC11 asked questions of local law enforcement leaders.

"It's just so terrifying," said Aiyanna Parker, whose car was totaled in the middle of that pursuit Monday night. "I'm just thinking I'm just going to the grocery store."

This is one of a handful of pursuits in the last two months including one in Spring Lake where speeds were as high as 150 mph. In another chase earlier this month, four people were taken to a hospital after a two-vehicle crash on US 501 that started with a pursuit by a Person County deputy.

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"One has to take into consideration that every pursuit is different," said Charles Blackwood, sheriff of Orange County. "The general public has the expectation of us to apprehend those who commit crimes unless or until that expectation evaporates, we will pursue those who commit crimes."

His deputies chase, but they factor in things such as weather, traffic conditions, and the aggressiveness of the driver. They are also trained as to when and when not to pursue.

"One of the techniques is for the supervisor to say, 'Call that officer by their first name,'" Blackwood said. "In my case Charles. 'Is it worth it?' It wakes them up from what they are focused on. Not that they are asleep from it, but they are very keenly focused on what they are doing."

His mindset though is different from neighboring agencies.

"A community should be policed by an agency the way they wish to be policed," he said.

Eddie Caldwell is the executive director of the North Carolina Sheriff's Association.

"You can't ignore the lawlessness for convenience sake," he said via Zoom from the national conference in Oklahoma City. "No uniform policy fits all and the decisions have to be made on a factual basis.

Caldwell noted the relevance of being in Oklahoma City as well. He said Timothy McVeigh was pulled over by an officer who noticed the car didn't have a tag on it.

"Most folks who run when they are signaled to pull over -- it's not because of the traffic violation of whatever incident might be at the forefront," Caldwell said. "It's because they have done something else, they're wanted."

The North Carolina Association of Police Chiefs said chases are based on what a community wants. ABC11 also reached out to the North Carolina Highway Patrol but has not heard back.