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Chicago unveils foot chase policy following police shootings

Police Search-Wrong 'House
Posted at 6:30 PM, May 27, 2021
and last updated 2021-05-28 09:00:41-04

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Police Department has a new foot-pursuit policy officials say makes the safety of officers and members of the public a priority.

The new policy announced Wednesday follows two foot pursuits that ended in the fatal shooting by police earlier this year of a 13-year-old boy and a 21-year-old man.

In April, Chicago's police review board released a body camera video in the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old boy late last month by a Chicago Police officer.

Among the new rules, the policy prohibits foot pursuits for minor traffic violations and bars officers from separating from partners if they can't see the person they're chasing.

According to the Associated Press, the policy states that a chase on foot must end "if the officer has lost track of their location or their surroundings, if the distance from their subject is too far, and if they are not able to control the person while in a confrontation."

Police Superintendent David Brown said officers had been using the strategies during foot chases, but they are now written policies that can result in punishment if violated.