Search fatalities

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REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office initiated a pursuit of a 2007 Kia Optima driven by Justin Allen Frostad on County Road 3875. Available contemporary reports and the Kansas Highway Patrol crash account identify the incident as a police pursuit but do not disclose why deputies initially attempted to stop Frostad.
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OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/29/2021, shortly before 11:00 a.m., Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies pursued 28-year-old Justin Allen Frostad eastbound on County Road 3875 in rural Montgomery County. Frostad was driving a 2007 Kia Optima with 20-year-old Shania Marie Parks of South Coffeyville, Oklahoma, riding as a passenger.
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Approximately 1.8 miles east of U.S. Highway 75, the Kia crossed railroad tracks during the pursuit. Frostad lost control immediately after crossing the tracks, and the Kia left the north side of the roadway, rolled multiple times and came to rest upside down in a field.
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Frostad was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was transported to Webb & Rodrick Chapel. Parks suffered serious injuries and was transported to a Tulsa hospital for treatment. Kansas Highway Patrol reported that neither Frostad nor Parks was wearing a seat belt.
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Contemporary reporting does not disclose the pursuit’s maximum speed, total distance, duration, whether deputies attempted PIT/TVI or deployed stop sticks, or whether police alleged they discontinued the pursuit before the crash. The public accounts consistently describe the incident as an active Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office pursuit when Frostad lost control after crossing the railroad tracks.
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Frostad had lived in the Montgomery County area, with records placing him in Caney, Coffeyville and Neodesha at different times. Public reporting surrounding his death concentrated almost entirely on the pursuit and his criminal history; no reliable obituary or family memorial located in the available indexed material provides sufficient information about his work, family, children or personal life to add a verified biographical account.
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TOTAL FATALITIES/INJURIES:
1 Fatality, 1 Serious Injury.
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DISPOSITION:
Kansas Highway Patrol investigated the fatal crash. No Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputy was criminally charged for the deputy’s role in initiating or continuing the pursuit.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office did not publicly identify the deputy or deputies who initiated and participated in the fatal pursuit.
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LITIGATION:
No civil litigation arising from Frostad’s death was identified.

https://www.ksal.com/driver-killed-in-high-speed-chase-crash/
https://hayspost.com/posts/baecbed2-2479-4872-a61e-ab7584188507
https://www.kwch.com/2021/10/30/deadly-overnight-montgomery-co-police-chase/
https://kggfradio.com/local-news/601823

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REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
At approximately 11:30 a.m., Brighton Police Officer Charles Hundley responded to a report of a suspicious person in a 2011 Kia Sorento in a residential neighborhood near Gaviota Avenue and Goldfinch Street. Hundley determined that the parked Kia had been reported stolen. Commander Nicholas Struck arrived in an unmarked police vehicle, and as officers approached, police alleged the Kia struck the front of Struck's vehicle while driving away. Hundley immediately initiated a pursuit with emergency lights and siren activated, with Officer Travis Flemming following behind him.
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OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/26/2021, Brighton Police Officer Charles Hundley initiated a high-speed pursuit through a residential neighborhood after the Kia drove away from officers. Officer Travis Flemming joined behind Hundley. Police estimated the Kia was traveling 50–60 mph through streets with a 25-mph speed limit while Hundley and Flemming continued pursuing with emergency lights and sirens.
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The pursuit lasted just over two minutes. Hundley's dashboard camera recorded the entire sequence. Hundley later told investigators that he maintained an average distance of approximately one-quarter mile behind the Kia while evaluating whether to terminate the pursuit. The prosecutor's investigation established that Hundley himself drove above the speed limit, proceeded through stop signs and disregarded other traffic regulations while pursuing the Kia through the residential area.
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Immediately before the fatal collision, Hundley heard a radio transmission directing police to discontinue the pursuit. Hundley said that by the time he processed the instruction, the crash had occurred. Police therefore did not actually end the pursuit before the fatal collision; Hundley's patrol vehicle remained approximately one block behind the Kia when it crashed.
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At East Bridge Street and Mt. Bierstadt Street, the Kia entered the intersection and struck a 2002 Nissan Frontier pickup in which 21-year-old Dulce Castro Perez was a passenger. Accident reconstruction calculated the Kia's impact speed at 63–69 mph, while its speedometer was locked at 71 mph. The collision ejected Dulce from the pickup. The Kia continued across Bridge Street into a grassy area and struck pedestrian Gustavo Mosqueda Ortega, 25, who had been walking on the sidewalk. Both Dulce and Gustavo were transported to hospitals and died from their injuries.
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Dulce's mother was also in the pickup and suffered critical injuries. The pursuit therefore left two uninvolved people dead and Dulce's mother critically injured, in addition to injuries suffered by people in the pursued vehicle.
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Dulce was born in Guanajuato, Mexico, and immigrated to Colorado as a young child. She attended school in Hudson and Keenesburg and graduated from Weld Central High School. She was the younger of two children of Maria Luisa and J. Carmen Castro and had an older brother, Rodolfo.
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Dulce had already survived cancer as a teenager. Her family described her as loving, caring and responsible, with a constant smile. She loved cooking, drawing, spending time with her pets and family and helping children. She planned to continue her education and find a good job so she could provide a better life for her parents.
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TOTAL FATALITIES/INJURIES:
2 Fatalities, multiple injuries including critical injuries to Dulce's mother.
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EYEWITNESS OR FAMILY STATEMENTS:
Dulce's cousin Esmeralda Perez remembered her as a loving, caring and responsible young woman who had survived cancer during her teenage years. After visiting the crash scene and seeing pieces of the wreckage, Perez said the family would forever miss Dulce and wished she could hug her one more time.
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DISPOSITION:
Nicholas Villarini was initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder, first-degree assault, vehicular eluding and driving under restraint. He ultimately pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide-DUI and one count of DUI vehicular assault. On 01/26/2023, he was sentenced to 40 years in state prison—20 years for each death—followed by four years of mandatory parole.
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Officer Charles Hundley was separately investigated for his role in initiating and continuing the pursuit. An external investigation concluded there was no violent felony or other act of violence requiring an immediate pursuit and found that Hundley demonstrated insufficient concern for public safety and failed to terminate the dangerous pursuit. Brighton Police fired Hundley in January 2022.
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The 17th Judicial District Attorney's Office nevertheless declined to criminally charge Hundley for his role in initiating the pursuit. District Attorney Brian Mason called Hundley's decision to pursue “deeply troubling” and concluded that the high-speed chase was unnecessarily dangerous and disproportionate to the alleged criminal activity and risk presented. The DA's own report acknowledged that the Kia's dangerous driving might not have occurred but for Hundley's pursuit, but concluded that prosecutors could not prove Hundley's driving legally caused the deaths.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Officer Charles Hundley initiated and led the pursuit, Officer Travis Flemming followed immediately behind him, and Commander Nicholas Struck was the officer whose unmarked vehicle was struck immediately before Hundley began chasing the Kia. Hundley's dash camera captured the pursuit from its beginning through the fatal crash.
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Hundley's own department fired him following an external investigation of the pursuit, finding that the circumstances did not require immediate pursuit and faulting his concern for public safety and failure to terminate the chase. The district attorney subsequently declined criminal charges but independently characterized Hundley's decision to engage in the high-speed residential pursuit as unnecessarily dangerous and disproportionate.

https://www.denver7.com/news/crime/man-charged-with-2-counts-of-first-degree-murder-in-deadly-brighton-police-chase
https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/2-bystanders-killed-suspect-seriously-injured-in-crash-after-brighton-police-chase
https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/coroner-identifies-two-people-killed-following-brighton-pursuit-crash
https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/was-it-justified-brighton-police-pursuit-ends-in-2-dead
https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/brighton-stolen-vehicle-chase-deadly-police/
https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/brighton-police-pursuit-crash-passenger-pedestrian-officer-charles-hundley-review-nicholas-villarini/
https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/nicholas-villarini-sentenced-driver-police-pursuit-stolen-vehicle-brighton-dulce-castro-perez-gustavo-ortega/
https://adamsbroomfieldda.org/userfiles/2358/files/DecisionLetterPursuit10262021.pdf
https://adamsbroomfieldda.org/blog/6912/17th-Judicial-District-Attorney-s-Office-Files-First-Degree-Murder-Charges-Against-Nicholas-Villarini
https://www.taborfuneralhome.com/obituary/Dulce-CastroPerez

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REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
At approximately 11:30 a.m., Brighton Police Officer Charles Hundley responded to a report of a suspicious person in a 2011 Kia Sorento near Gaviota Avenue and Goldfinch Street. Hundley found a man and woman inside the parked Kia and determined the vehicle had been reported stolen in Westminster. Commander Nicholas Struck arrived in an unmarked police vehicle. As officers approached, police alleged the Kia struck the front of Struck's vehicle while driving away. Hundley immediately initiated a pursuit with emergency lights and siren activated, and Officer Travis Flemming followed behind him.
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OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/26/2021, Officer Charles Hundley initiated a high-speed pursuit through a Brighton residential neighborhood after the Kia drove away. Officer Travis Flemming followed in a second patrol vehicle. The Kia was estimated to be traveling 50–60 mph through streets with a 25-mph speed limit, disregarding stop signs and nearly striking other vehicles.
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The pursuit continued for just over two minutes. Hundley's dashboard camera recorded the entire chase. The subsequent investigation established that Hundley also drove above the speed limit and proceeded through stop signs while pursuing the Kia. Hundley said he remained approximately one-quarter mile behind it while considering whether to terminate the pursuit.
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Immediately before the fatal collisions, Hundley heard a radio transmission directing police to discontinue the pursuit. Hundley said that by the time he processed the instruction, the crash was already occurring. Police therefore did not actually discontinue the pursuit before the fatal collisions; Hundley's patrol vehicle was approximately one block behind the Kia when it entered East Bridge Street.
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The Kia ran a stop sign and struck a 2002 Nissan Frontier carrying 21-year-old Dulce Castro Perez and her mother. The impact ejected Castro Perez, who suffered fatal injuries, while her mother was critically injured. Accident reconstruction calculated the Kia's impact speed at 63–69 mph, and its speedometer was locked at 71 mph.
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After striking the pickup, the Kia continued across Bridge Street, entered a grassy area and struck 25-year-old Gustavo Mosqueda Ortega, who had been walking on the sidewalk along Mt. Bierstadt Street. Gustavo was transported to a hospital but died from his injuries. He had no involvement in the incident preceding the pursuit and was simply walking when the chase reached him.
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Gustavo was from Montrose, Colorado. His family remembered him as an exceptionally genuine and caring person. Following his death, relatives described him as an incredible person whose sudden killing devastated the family. His sister, Ana Mosqueda, later appeared in court as the criminal case reached sentencing and continued demanding accountability for her brother's death.
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TOTAL FATALITIES/INJURIES:
2 Fatalities, multiple injuries including critical injuries to Dulce Castro Perez's mother.
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EYEWITNESS OR FAMILY STATEMENTS:
Gustavo's family remained involved through the criminal prosecution. At sentencing, his sister Ana Mosqueda expressed anger over the circumstances that killed her brother and the punishment imposed. Relatives described Gustavo as “the most genuine person ever” and “incredible.”
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DISPOSITION:
Nicholas Villarini was initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder, first-degree assault, vehicular eluding and driving under restraint. He ultimately pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide-DUI and one count of DUI vehicular assault. On 01/26/2023, he was sentenced to 40 years in state prison, including consecutive 20-year sentences for the deaths of Gustavo Mosqueda Ortega and Dulce Castro Perez.
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Officer Charles Hundley was separately investigated for his role in initiating and continuing the pursuit. The investigation determined there was no violent felony or other act of violence requiring an immediate pursuit. Brighton Police fired Hundley after concluding that the pursuit presented an unnecessary danger to the public.
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The 17th Judicial District Attorney's Office declined to criminally charge Hundley for his role in initiating the pursuit. District Attorney Brian Mason nevertheless called Hundley's decision to engage in the high-speed chase “deeply troubling” and concluded that the pursuit was unnecessarily dangerous and disproportionate to the alleged criminal activity and potential danger presented before Hundley began chasing the Kia. The prosecutor's review acknowledged that the dangerous driving that killed Gustavo and Dulce might not have occurred but for Hundley's pursuit, but concluded there was insufficient evidence to establish Hundley's criminal liability for their deaths.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Charles Hundley initiated and led the fatal pursuit, Travis Flemming followed immediately behind him, and Commander Nicholas Struck was present at the initial encounter. Hundley's dash camera captured the pursuit from its beginning through the fatal collisions. Brighton Police subsequently fired Hundley over his conduct during the pursuit.

https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/was-it-justified-brighton-police-pursuit-ends-in-2-dead
https://www.denver7.com/news/crime/man-charged-with-2-counts-of-first-degree-murder-in-deadly-brighton-police-chase
https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/coroner-identifies-two-people-killed-following-brighton-pursuit-crash
https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/2-bystanders-killed-suspect-seriously-injured-in-crash-after-brighton-police-chase
https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/brighton-stolen-vehicle-chase-deadly-police/
https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/brighton-police-pursuit-crash-passenger-pedestrian-officer-charles-hundley-review-nicholas-villarini/
https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/nicholas-villarini-sentenced-driver-police-pursuit-stolen-vehicle-brighton-dulce-castro-perez-gustavo-ortega/
https://adamsbroomfieldda.org/userfiles/2358/files/DecisionLetterPursuit10262021.pdf
 

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REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
At approximately 10:40 p.m. on 10/25/2021, a trucking company in the 14700 block of Sommermeyer Street reported that an 18-wheeler flatbed had been stolen. The company tracked the truck by GPS. At approximately 12:20 a.m., Houston Police located the stolen truck near Breen Road and State Highway 249 and attempted a traffic stop. The driver continued driving away and police initiated a pursuit.
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OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/26/2021, Houston Police pursued the stolen 18-wheeler through northwest Harris County after locating it using the trucking company's GPS. Police described the pursuit as brief. The truck traveled along Lincoln Drive toward McKinley Street while officers followed with emergency equipment activated.
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As the 18-wheeler approached the T-intersection at Lincoln Drive and McKinley Street, police alleged the driver disregarded a stop sign and jumped from the cab while the truck was still moving. He landed in a drainage ditch while the driverless tractor-trailer continued forward, crashed through a metal barrier and plowed into a mobile home in the 11500 block of McKinley Street. Surveillance video captured the truck crashing into the residence.
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Aylene “Nicole” Heaney and her partner, 54-year-old Jeff Conyers, were asleep in their bedroom when the 18-wheeler tore into the home and trapped them beneath the wreckage. Heaney was found dead at the scene. Conyers was pinned beneath the truck's fuel tank for more than an hour while firefighters stabilized the severely damaged home before they could safely extricate him.
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Conyers survived with extensive injuries, including three broken ribs, a broken arm, a crushed shoulder, five broken fingers, destroyed muscle tissue and facial burns. The collision also destroyed the couple's home, vehicle and possessions. His brother, Chris Conyers, said Jeff had lost “the love of his life” along with virtually everything he owned.
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Four adults were inside the home when the truck struck it. Heaney and Conyers were in the bedroom directly in the truck's path. Two housemates were sleeping on the opposite side of the residence and escaped the destruction.
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TOTAL FATALITIES/INJURIES:
1 Fatality, 1 Serious Injury.
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EYEWITNESS OR FAMILY STATEMENTS:
Chris Conyers described the crash as devastating his brother's entire life at once: Jeff survived with serious injuries but lost Nicole, his home, his vehicle and virtually all of his belongings. The family established a fundraiser because Jeff faced extensive medical recovery and was unable to work following the crash.
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DISPOSITION:
Police arrested the fleeing driver immediately after he jumped from the moving truck. Harris County prosecutors charged him with felony murder in Heaney's death and reckless aggravated assault for the injuries to Conyers.
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No Houston Police officer was criminally charged for the officer's role in initiating or continuing the pursuit.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Houston Police did not publicly identify the officer or officers who initiated and participated in the pursuit.

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/10/26/woman-killed-after-18-wheeler-hits-home-during-chase-in-north-harris-county-deputies-say/
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/crime/article/Authorities-pursue-felony-murder-charge-in-16564419.php
https://abc13.com/post/woman-killed-18-wheeler-crash-stolen-semi-northwest-harris-county/11168855/
https://www.fox26houston.com/news/woman-dead-man-injured-after-18-wheeler-crashes-into-harris-co-home
https://cdllife.com/2021/truck-thief-who-smashed-through-mobile-home-facing-murder-charges/
https://www.newser.com/story/312682/stolen-driverless-big-rig-slams-into-home-kills-woman.html

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REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
At approximately 11:15 a.m., Lima Police attempted to stop a 2012 Lincoln MKZ driven by Marva Ilene Ackles following an alleged shoplifting incident at the Walmart on Allentown Road. Ackles continued driving away and police initiated a pursuit.
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OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/26/2021, Lima Police pursued 47-year-old Marva Ackles west from the Allentown Road area. During the pursuit, Ackles reached speeds exceeding 100 mph. Police alleged they discontinued the pursuit because of the extreme speed.
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At approximately 11:14 a.m., Ackles was traveling west on Koop Road in American Township when the Lincoln failed to negotiate a curve, left the roadway and struck a tree. Ackles suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Passenger Clarence L. Powell III, 42, suffered serious injuries and was transported to St. Rita's Hospital.
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Police described the chase as a short pursuit and alleged they discontinued the pursuit before the fatal crash. Contemporary reporting nevertheless establishes that the crash occurred immediately following the pursuit after Ackles had reached speeds exceeding 100 mph.
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Ackles was a lifelong member of a large Lima family and was the daughter of Elton Louis Cannon. Family records identify her siblings Tony and Quentin Ackles among a large extended family, and her father's obituary specifically memorialized Marva as his daughter who preceded him in death. Years before her own death, Marva also left a public condolence for another grieving Lima family, telling them that her heart went out to them and that she was praying for them.
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TOTAL FATALITIES/INJURIES:
1 Fatality, 1 Serious Injury.
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DISPOSITION:
Ohio State Highway Patrol investigated the fatal crash. No Lima Police officer was criminally charged for the officer's role in initiating the pursuit that reached speeds exceeding 100 mph before police alleged they discontinued the pursuit.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Lima Police Department did not publicly identify the officer or officers who initiated and participated in the pursuit.

https://mercercountyoutlook.net/2021/10/26/lima-woman-dies-in-single-car-crash-earlier-was-involved-in-a-police-pursuit/
https://www.hometownstations.com/news/one-killed-one-injured-in-a-crash-following-a-police-pursuit/article_8a808c32-36a3-11ec-90ae-33cb2b8fecde.html
https://www.13abc.com/2021/10/27/lima-woman-dies-after-car-leaves-road-strikes-tree/
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/limaohio/name/elton-cannon-obituary?id=53917561
 

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REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
Oklahoma City Police attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation near Interstate 44 and SW 104th Street. The driver continued driving away and police initiated a pursuit. Available public reporting does not identify the specific traffic violation that prompted the attempted stop.
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OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/25/2021, Oklahoma City Police pursued a vehicle through southwest Oklahoma City after attempting the traffic stop near I-44 and SW 104th Street. Police alleged they discontinued the pursuit before the fatal collision, but the vehicle continued traveling at high speed toward S Pennsylvania Avenue.
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At the intersection of SW 104th Street and S Pennsylvania Avenue, the fleeing vehicle ran a red light and crashed into a vehicle driven by 35-year-old Sean Christopher Donahue. Donahue was an uninvolved driver who happened to enter the intersection as the police pursuit reached it. He suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene. The 16-year-old fleeing driver and two passengers suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were hospitalized.
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Donahue was driving a company vehicle for Diagnostic Laboratory of Oklahoma when he was killed. He had worked for the laboratory for approximately two years and was working when the pursuit crash occurred.
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Sean was born in Oklahoma City on 03/14/1986, graduated from Capitol Hill High School in 2005 and was the youngest of four brothers. His family described him as a gentle, family-centered man who was engaged to DeAnna and considered her 6-year-old son, Jaxson, his own. Sean planned to adopt Jaxson after the couple married. He was also a member of Little Flower Catholic Church.
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Sean's brother described him as someone who loved being a father figure and was excited about the family he was building. Instead, his fiancée lost the man she intended to marry and her young son lost the man he regarded as his father.
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TOTAL FATALITIES/INJURIES:
1 Fatality, 3 Injuries.
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EYEWITNESS OR FAMILY STATEMENTS:
Sean's family remembered him as a gentle man devoted to his family. He was engaged and preparing for marriage, and his relationship with his fiancée's 6-year-old son was particularly important to him; Sean intended to legally adopt the boy.
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DISPOSITION:
The fleeing driver was 16 years old at the time of the crash. Because he was a juvenile, subsequent criminal-case information is limited in publicly searchable records. Oklahoma City Police officers were not criminally charged for their roles in initiating the pursuit. Police alleged they discontinued the pursuit before the fleeing vehicle ran the red light and killed Donahue.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Oklahoma City Police Department did not publicly identify the officer or officers who initiated and participated in the pursuit.

https://kfor.com/news/local/family-remembers-father-killed-in-wreck-after-man-speeds-through-intersection-while-attempting-to-evade-police/
https://www.news9.com/story/6178747a9bcb9e431035f239/family-remembers-okc-man-after-he-dies-in-a-crash-in-sw-okc-intersection
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/sean-donahue-obituary?id=31199694
https://accidentdatacenter.com/us/oklahoma/oklahoma-city-ok/oklahoma-city/21/10/26/sean-donahue-35-killed-collision-fleeing-driver-milton-neal-16-southwest-104th-street-and

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REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
At approximately 3:45 a.m., a Virginia State Police trooper clocked Curtis Armstead Jr.'s Dodge Charger traveling 72 mph in a posted 55-mph zone on westbound Interstate 495 near Eisenhower Avenue. The trooper activated emergency lights and siren to conduct a traffic stop. Armstead continued driving away and police initiated a pursuit. The initiating offense was therefore speeding 17 mph above the limit.
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OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/24/2021, Virginia State Police pursued 24-year-old Curtis Armstead Jr. from the Capital Beltway onto southbound Interstate 95 toward Prince William County. During the pursuit, a police dispatcher radioed that the Charger's license plates matched those of a stolen vehicle. Virginia State Police later acknowledged that information was wrong: the vehicle was not stolen. Police said the erroneous stolen-vehicle information did not influence the trooper's decision to pursue because the chase had already begun over the speeding violation.
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The pursuit continued south on I-95 until Armstead took Exit 160 toward Route 123 at what police described as excessive speed. He lost control on the exit ramp, ran off the right side of the roadway and struck a Jersey wall. The Charger rode up the concrete wall and struck the underside of the I-95 Express Lanes overpass before catching fire.
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Troopers reached the wreck and pulled Armstead and his passenger, 23-year-old Miquel De'quan Jenkins, from the Charger immediately before it became engulfed in flames. Both men suffered fatal injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene.
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Armstead was a Fredericksburg resident and the son of Michelle Armstead and Curtis Armstead Sr. He was part of a large family that included two brothers, Naheem Fox and Keaun Carter, and a nephew, Kyree Curry. His family held a celebration of his life at Arm of the Lord Ministries before burying him at Sunset Memorial Gardens.
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The families publicly questioned why a traffic violation escalated into a pursuit that killed both young men. Armstead's mother specifically challenged the decision to chase her son over driving 72 mph in a 55-mph zone, saying the pursuit was the reason she no longer had her son and Jenkins' mother no longer had hers.
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TOTAL FATALITIES/INJURIES:
2 Fatalities.
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EYEWITNESS OR FAMILY STATEMENTS:
Armstead's mother questioned why Virginia State Police pursued a driver to a fatal outcome over speeding 17 mph above the posted limit. The family also learned that during the pursuit police incorrectly broadcast that the Charger's tags matched a stolen vehicle, although State Police subsequently acknowledged the information was erroneous.
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DISPOSITION:
Virginia State Police investigated the pursuit and double-fatal crash. No trooper was criminally charged for the trooper's role in initiating and continuing the pursuit from I-495 onto I-95.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Virginia State Police did not publicly identify the trooper who initiated and participated in the fatal pursuit.

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/police-pursuit-crash-kills-two-on-capital-beltway/2847200/
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/mother-questions-police-for-i-95-chase-ending-in-deadly-crash/2850290/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/crash-police-deaths-chase-beltway/2021/10/24/c975f048-34d8-11ec-9bc4-86107e7b0ab1_story.html
https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/curtis-armstead-jr-miquel-jenkins-dead-interstate-95-crash-police-chase
https://patch.com/virginia/woodbridge-va/2-killed-virginia-police-chase
https://www.wsls.com/news/virginia/2021/10/24/2-die-in-crash-after-police-chase-in-prince-william-county/
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/fredericksburg-va/curtis-armstead-10418577

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REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
At approximately 3:45 a.m., a Virginia State Police trooper clocked the Dodge Charger in which Miquel Jenkins was riding as a passenger traveling 72 mph in a posted 55-mph zone on westbound Interstate 495 near Eisenhower Avenue. The trooper activated emergency lights and siren to make a traffic stop. The driver continued driving away and the trooper initiated a pursuit.
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OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/24/2021, Virginia State Police pursued the Dodge Charger from the Capital Beltway onto southbound Interstate 95 toward Prince William County. Twenty-three-year-old Miquel De’quan Jenkins of Fredericksburg was riding as a passenger.
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During the pursuit, a police dispatcher radioed that the Charger’s tags matched those of a stolen vehicle. Virginia State Police later acknowledged that this information was incorrect and that the vehicle was not stolen. Police maintained that the erroneous stolen-vehicle information did not affect the decision to pursue because the chase had already begun over the speeding violation.
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The pursuit continued south on I-95 until the Charger entered Exit 160 toward Route 123 at high speed. The driver lost control on the ramp, ran off the right side of the roadway and struck a Jersey wall. The Charger rode up the concrete wall, struck the underside of the I-95 Express Lanes overpass and caught fire.
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Troopers reached the wreck and pulled Jenkins and 24-year-old driver Curtis Armstead Jr. from the Charger immediately before it became engulfed in flames. Both men suffered fatal injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene.
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Jenkins, known to family and friends as “Quel,” was born on 02/10/1998 in Fredericksburg to Michael Jenkins and Aisha Cokley and attended Spotsylvania County Public Schools. His obituary reflects a large circle of relatives and friends who mourned the sudden loss of the 23-year-old, with condolences repeatedly emphasizing his close family relationships and the memories he left behind.
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TOTAL FATALITIES/INJURIES:
2 Fatalities.
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EYEWITNESS OR FAMILY STATEMENTS:
The families of both young men questioned why a speeding violation escalated into a pursuit that ended with two deaths. The families also learned after the crash that police had incorrectly broadcast during the pursuit that the Charger’s tags matched a stolen vehicle.
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DISPOSITION:
Virginia State Police investigated the pursuit and double-fatal crash. No trooper was criminally charged for the trooper’s role in initiating or continuing the pursuit.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Virginia State Police did not publicly identify the trooper who initiated and participated in the fatal pursuit.

https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/updated-two-dead-after-police-chase-fiery-crash-on-i-95-near-occoquan/article_dd917064-34cb-11ec-bb3b-53dd27db0cee.html
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/police-pursuit-crash-kills-two-on-capital-beltway/2847200/
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/mother-questions-police-for-i-95-chase-ending-in-deadly-crash/2850290/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/crash-police-deaths-chase-beltway/2021/10/24/c975f048-34d8-11ec-9bc4-86107e7b0ab1_story.html
https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/curtis-armstead-jr-miquel-jenkins-dead-interstate-95-crash-police-chase
https://patch.com/virginia/woodbridge-va/2-killed-virginia-police-chase
https://www.wsls.com/news/virginia/2021/10/24/2-die-in-crash-after-police-chase-in-prince-william-county/
https://www.legacy.com/funeral-homes/obituaries/name/miquel-jenkins-obituary?pid=200515360&v=batesville

On 10/21/2021, at approximately 5:00 a.m., 25-year-old Sierra J. Stricker of Walthill was struck and killed by an unmarked Nebraska State Patrol vehicle on U.S. Highway 77 approximately one mile north of Walthill. The vehicle was being driven southbound by a Nebraska State Patrol investigator.
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Investigators determined that shortly before she was struck, Sierra had left a residence on the east side of Highway 77. She crossed the northbound lane and entered the southbound lane, where the State Patrol investigator's vehicle struck her. The investigator called for emergency assistance, and Macy Rescue responded, but Sierra was pronounced dead at the scene.
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The available public record does not disclose the investigator's speed before impact, whether the investigator was traveling on official business, where the investigator was going, or why an unmarked State Patrol vehicle was traveling through the area at approximately 5:00 a.m. The State Patrol also did not publicly identify the investigator. Those omissions remained even after the death was presented to a grand jury.
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The later grand-jury reporting is particularly significant because the jury issued five recommendations concerning how Nebraska should investigate crashes involving law-enforcement officers. Among them, jurors recommended that an outside agency establish jurisdiction when an officer is involved in a motor-vehicle crash; that an incident commander from another agency be present; that evidence be logged before removal; that witnesses and involved persons not leave the scene except for medical treatment; that blood draws and drug toxicology testing be conducted as soon as possible; and that the Nebraska State Patrol follow its own policies and procedures in the interest of transparency and maintaining public trust.
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Sierra was a 25-year-old Walthill resident whose life has remained almost entirely absent from the public reporting surrounding her death. Despite extensive searches beyond the original news coverage, publicly indexed obituary, memorial and family coverage sufficient to reliably describe her occupation, children, family relationships or what she was doing at the residence that morning could not be established. The available reporting identifies only that she had just left a home on the east side of Highway 77 before crossing the highway.
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DISPOSITION:
Because Sierra's death involved a law-enforcement officer, the case was ultimately presented to a grand jury. Dakota County District Court Judge Bryan C. Meismer convened the grand jury in September 2022, with Washington County Attorney Scott Vander Schaaf and Chief Deputy Attorney Erik Petersen appointed as special prosecutors. The grand jury returned a No True Bill, finding no criminal conduct in Sierra's death, and the Nebraska State Patrol investigator was not criminally charged.
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The grand jury nevertheless accompanied its decision with five recommendations directed at the handling of law-enforcement vehicle crashes, including independent scene control, evidence preservation, restrictions on involved persons leaving the scene, prompt toxicology testing and greater adherence by State Patrol to its own procedures in the interest of transparency and public trust.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Nebraska State Patrol specifically did not publicly identify the investigator who was driving the unmarked State Patrol vehicle that struck and killed Sierra Stricker, preventing examination of that investigator's prior crashes, disciplinary history, complaints or other misconduct.
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LITIGATION:
No civil lawsuit arising from Sierra Stricker's death was located in the publicly indexed court and news records searched.

https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/article_2d227d79-4f02-5522-900b-029dd022b5d6.html
https://omaha.com/news/state-regional/crime-courts/article_df9a085c-32b0-11ec-a4d5-bb02d3195a67.html
https://delta.creativecirclecdn.com/enterprise/files/20220929-165329-Enterprise%209%3A30.pdf
 

.
REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
At approximately 9:59 p.m., Salisbury Police Pfc. Christopher Denny was leaving the police department when he saw a black Honda Accord driven by Jamaal Parish Mitchell at Delaware Avenue and West Salisbury Parkway with its headlights off. Denny followed the Honda and activated his emergency lights. Police alleged Mitchell began increasing his speed and swerving across lane lines, and Denny told his supervisor he believed Mitchell might be impaired. Sgt. Chad Crockett authorized Denny to continue the pursuit.
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OFFICIAL NARRATIVE:
On 10/21/2021, Salisbury Police Pfc. Christopher Denny pursued 35-year-old Jamaal “Smurfee” Parish Mitchell westbound on Route 50. Mitchell had spent the evening at his aunt’s birthday celebration at the Salisbury VFW and, according to his family, was taking his normal route home when Denny encountered him. Investigators found no evidence that Denny knew Mitchell or had been looking for him before seeing his Honda at the intersection.
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The pursuit lasted approximately two minutes on Route 50. Denny’s patrol vehicle reached approximately 72 mph. During radio transmissions, Denny initially reported Mitchell traveling approximately 50 mph, then 65 mph, with no traffic. Denny reported the Honda swerving and straddling lanes, and Crockett authorized continued pursuit based on the possibility that Mitchell was impaired.
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Mitchell turned from Route 50 onto Queen Avenue and struck the rear corner of a Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office SUV driven by Deputy David Munir, who had positioned himself at the intersection to assist Denny. Munir then joined the pursuit, with Denny following behind. The Attorney General’s investigation found no evidence that Munir obtained the supervisor approval normally required under Wicomico County pursuit policy before joining another agency’s pursuit.
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Only approximately 18 seconds elapsed between Mitchell turning onto Queen Avenue and the fatal crash. Mitchell traveled approximately one-quarter mile down Queen Avenue, crossed into the opposing lane and struck an Acura whose driver was turning left onto Duchess Drive. The Honda then crossed the yard at 1501 Duchess Drive, struck a parked vehicle and crashed into a tree. A deputy later observed that the Honda’s speedometer was frozen between 70 and 80 mph, although crash investigators could not reliably determine Mitchell’s actual impact speed because the Honda had sustained multiple collisions.
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Denny and Munir arrived seconds later and found Mitchell trapped and unresponsive. Officers attempted to open the severely damaged Honda while requesting EMS. A deputy initially detected a faint pulse, but Mitchell had suffered catastrophic head, brain and spinal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The medical examiner ruled the death accidental. Toxicology later found a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.25 percent and no other drugs in the urine sample.
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Mitchell was a 35-year-old Salisbury resident who was known as “Smurfee.” On the night he died, he was not coming from a reported crime scene or other police encounter; his family told investigators he had been celebrating his aunt’s birthday at the local VFW and was simply traveling his customary route home when Denny noticed his headlights were off.
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DISPOSITION:
The Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division conducted an extensive investigation using dashboard and body-camera video, radio traffic, crash reconstruction, medical-examiner findings, witness interviews, departmental records and the officers’ pursuit histories. The investigation was completed in February 2022 and forwarded to Wicomico County State’s Attorney Jamie Dykes. On 04/21/2022, the State’s Attorney declined prosecution. Neither Denny nor Munir was criminally charged for his role in the pursuit.
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The IID concluded that Denny’s pursuit complied with Salisbury Police policy because that policy permitted pursuit of a potentially intoxicated driver and his supervisor authorized continuation. Investigators noted that Munir did not obtain supervisor approval before joining the pursuit, but concluded that because Mitchell had struck Munir’s cruiser, Munir had an independent basis to initiate a pursuit and that the possible policy violation did not amount to criminal gross negligence.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Pfc. Christopher Denny initiated and led the pursuit. The Attorney General’s review of his personnel records found no internal-affairs complaints and no previous pursuits in which he had been directly engaged; he had previously participated only in supporting roles. Denny declined to be interviewed by IID investigators and did not write an incident report, with Salisbury Police taking the position that its reporting requirement did not apply because Denny had relinquished the lead position to Munir before the fatal crash.
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Deputy David Munir joined the pursuit after Mitchell’s Honda struck his patrol SUV. The Attorney General’s review found no internal-affairs complaints but revealed that Munir had already participated in five police pursuits before Mitchell’s death; Wicomico County’s internal pursuit-review board had classified all five as within policy. Munir also declined an IID interview but submitted a written report six days after the crash.
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Both departments avoided conducting their own full pursuit reviews after Mitchell’s death. Salisbury Police maintained that Denny had discontinued his pursuit when Munir took the lead and therefore its post-pursuit reporting requirement did not apply. Wicomico County similarly maintained that its pursuit review was unnecessary because Salisbury Police initiated the chase and Mitchell had crashed before Munir formally began pursuing him.

https://oag.maryland.gov/resources-info/Documents/pdfs/IID/052022_IID_Report.pdf
https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/press/2022/052022.pdf
https://www.wmar2news.com/news/local-news/video-shows-salisbury-police-chase-that-ended-in-deadly-crash
https://www.wmdt.com/2021/10/police-attempted-traffic-stop-leads-to-fatal-crash-investigation-underway/
https://www.wmdt.com/2022/05/investigative-report-released-for-wicomico-co-fatal-police-pursuit-crash/
https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/victim-who-died-in-crash-during-salisbury-police-chase-identified/
https://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/dashcam-footage-of-police-chase-that-led-to-fatal-crash-in-wicomico-county-released/

.
REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
At approximately 11:37 p.m. on 10/20/2021, a Missoula Police officer observed a white Honda Civic traveling approximately 60–70 mph on West Broadway, where the speed limit was 25 mph. The officer attempted to stop the car for the extreme speeding. Driver Kemari Parks, 20, made a quick turn and continued driving away, and police escalated a pursuit.
.
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/20/2021, a Missoula Police officer attempted to stop the Honda after observing it traveling more than twice the posted speed limit on West Broadway. Parks initially managed to get away from the officer, but police subsequently located the Honda again. As officers approached, Parks accelerated through a parking lot with a 17-year-old boy riding as his passenger and police resumed the chase.
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During the pursuit, Parks drove through red lights and into opposing traffic while police continued chasing him through Missoula. The chase ultimately reached South 5th Street West near Higgins Avenue. Parks struck multiple parked vehicles before the Honda crashed. The 17-year-old passenger suffered catastrophic injuries; Parks suffered facial and head injuries but got out of the wreck and ran from the scene before police apprehended him.
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The teenager survived the initial crash and was transported for emergency medical treatment but died from his injuries the following morning, 10/21/2021. Contemporary court and news coverage consistently withheld his name, referring to him only as a 17-year-old passenger; the available records identify him by the initials J.M. His identity was not subsequently disclosed in the later publicly indexed criminal or parole records located.
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The initial reporting described Parks as facing vehicular homicide while under the influence, criminal endangerment and fleeing from a police officer. Later Montana Department of Corrections and Board of Pardons and Parole records establish that the final conviction offenses were negligent homicide, two counts of criminal endangerment and fleeing from or eluding a peace officer. Parks entered Montana State Prison on 08/31/2022.
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DISPOSITION:
Parks was initially held on $250,000 bail. His original prosecution included vehicular homicide while under the influence, but the final Montana corrections record lists negligent homicide rather than DUI vehicular homicide, together with two criminal-endangerment convictions and fleeing from or eluding a peace officer.
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Parks became eligible for parole on 10/21/2023. The Montana Board of Pardons and Parole denied parole in 2023, citing the nature and severity of the offenses, poor supervision history, the seriousness of the crime and need for programming. Parole was again denied in October 2024 because of poor institutional conduct and need for programming. By October 2025 and again in January 2026, the Board listed Parks as ineligible because of his conduct.
.
No Missoula Police officer was criminally charged for the officer's role in initiating or continuing the pursuit.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Missoula Police Department did not publicly identify the officer who initiated and participated in the fatal pursuit.

https://www.kpax.com/news/crime-and-courts/man-facing-charges-after-crash-kills-his-passenger
https://www.krtv.com/news/crime-and-courts/man-charged-with-vehicular-homicide-while-dui
https://www.kpax.com/news/crime-and-courts/man-charged-with-missoula-vehicular-homicide-appears-in-court
https://www.missouladailynews.com/investigation-underway-after-a-man-died-following-a-police-chase/
https://incarcernation.com/view-for-death-by-cop/entry/16276/?gvid=22268&pagenum=233
https://cor.mt.gov/LegislativeAgencyMaterials/2023/DOC-Committee-Materials/DOC.budgetcommittee.1.23.23.pdf
https://bopp.mt.gov/_docs/dispositions/2023/10-2023-Final-Board-Dispositions.pdf
https://bopp.mt.gov/_docs/dispositions/2024/10-2024-Final-Board-Dispositions-002.pdf
https://bopp.mt.gov/_docs/dispositions/2025/10-2025-Final-Board-Dispositions.pdf
https://bopp.mt.gov/_docs/dispositions/2026/01-2026-Final-Board-Dispositions.pdf

.
REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
Memphis and Bartlett police attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Johnny Landon near Mississippi Boulevard and Lamar Avenue because Landon had active warrants for aggravated assault. Landon continued driving away and officers followed him until he briefly stopped near Hernando Road and Alice Avenue. Police alleged Landon then intentionally rammed a Bartlett Police vehicle and drove away again, and Memphis Police continued the pursuit.
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OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/21/2021, Memphis Police pursued Landon south through Memphis following the attempted arrest and collision with the Bartlett police vehicle. Police alleged officers eventually lost sight of the vehicle on Elvis Presley Boulevard near Winchester Road. Public reporting does not provide a reliable maximum pursuit speed, total distance or duration.
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As Landon approached E Raines Road on Elvis Presley Boulevard, his vehicle crashed into a vehicle driven by 59-year-old Marvin Edward “Peanut” Honey. Honey was an uninvolved driver who was on his way to the grocery store when the pursuit reached his path. He suffered critical injuries and was transported to a hospital, where he died. Landon survived with non-critical injuries and was taken into custody.
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Honey was born on 05/16/1962 in Memphis to Charlie and Bobbie Jones and was affectionately known to family and friends as “Peanut” and “Nut.” He grew up in Memphis, attended Hamilton-area schools and had deep roots in the community. What should have been an ordinary trip to buy groceries ended with Honey becoming an uninvolved casualty of a police pursuit.
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TOTAL FATALITIES/INJURIES:
1 Fatality, 1 Injury.
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EYEWITNESS OR FAMILY STATEMENTS:
Honey’s family publicly demanded answers after his death, questioning the police pursuit that preceded the collision. Honey had no connection to the alleged crimes or attempted arrest that initiated the encounter and was simply driving to the grocery store when he was killed.
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DISPOSITION:
Johnny Landon was taken into custody following the crash. No Memphis or Bartlett police officer was criminally charged for the officer’s role in initiating or continuing the pursuit.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Neither the Memphis Police Department nor Bartlett Police Department publicly identified the officers who initiated and participated in the fatal pursuit, including the Bartlett officer whose police vehicle Landon allegedly rammed.

https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/crime/bystander-killed-suspect-injured-in-crash-during-police-chase-in-whitehaven/522-a9059996-79a8-420d-b0cf-4b613506416b
https://wreg.com/news/local/one-dead-after-crash-involving-bartlett-memphis-police/
https://wreg.com/news/family-demands-answers-after-a-fatal-crash-during-police-chase/
https://www.actionnews5.com/2021/10/22/suspect-chased-by-officers-crashes-kills-one/
https://www.legacy.com/funeral-homes/obituaries/name/marvin-honey-obituary?pid=200518131&v=batesville

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REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
At approximately 11:30 p.m., Suffolk County Police officers in a marked patrol vehicle saw a 2004 Toyota Tacoma displaying license plates that had been reported stolen. Officers attempted a traffic stop at Long Island Avenue and Gazebo Lane in Holtsville. The driver continued driving away, and police initiated a pursuit with emergency lights and siren. The stolen license plates—not information discovered after the crash—were the stated reason for the attempted stop.
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OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/19/2021, Suffolk County Police pursued the Toyota southbound on North Ocean Avenue after the attempted stop for the stolen license plates. Later court reporting established that the high-speed pursuit lasted approximately 10–11 minutes.
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At approximately 11:40 p.m., the fleeing vehicle reached North Ocean Avenue and Express Drive South and crashed into a Honda Civic traveling east through the intersection. The impact was severe enough to knock down a red-light camera. The Honda's driver, 19-year-old Starlin Manuel Diaz Felipe of Medford, was killed at the scene.
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Twenty-five-year-old Tariasha Smith of West Babylon, a passenger in the fleeing vehicle, was ejected during the collision and transported to Stony Brook University Hospital in serious condition. Later court reporting described her injuries as including a brain bleed and broken jaw.
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Starlin was a 19-year-old Medford resident and recent Longwood High School graduate, Class of 2019. He had finished high school only about two years before he was killed. The publicly indexed reporting located on his death focuses overwhelmingly on the crash and prosecution; it does not reliably establish where Starlin was driving that night, his destination, occupation, or detailed family statements, so those details should not be invented or replaced with material about the fleeing driver.
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DISPOSITION:
Robert Hengeveld was initially charged after the crash and was later indicted on charges including aggravated vehicular homicide and second-degree manslaughter. In June 2022, Hengeveld pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide, first-degree unlawfully fleeing a police officer, criminal possession of stolen property, reckless driving and driving while impaired by drugs.
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No Suffolk County Police officer was criminally charged for the officer's role in initiating or continuing the approximately 10–11-minute high-speed pursuit.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Suffolk County Police Department did not publicly identify the officer or officers who initiated and participated in the fatal pursuit. A deeper search of subsequent prosecution coverage and later reporting did not produce a sufficiently verified officer identity to place on the Officer(s) line.

https://www.newsday.com/long-island/crime/suffolk-police-pursuit-fatal-crash-holtsville-1.50368978
https://abc7ny.com/holtsville-fatal-crash-police-chase-stolen-vehicle/11063734/
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/holtsville-fatal-crash/
https://longisland.news12.com/police-1-dead-1-in-custody-following-holtsville-crash
https://patch.com/new-york/sachem/1-arrested-after-deadly-suffolk-crash-police
https://longisland.news12.com/man-accused-of-leading-police-on-fatal-holtsville-chase-pleads-not-guilty-to-vehicular-manslaughter
https://dailyvoice.com/article/man-pleads-guilty-in-suffolk-county-crash-that-killed-teen-following-high-speed-pursuit/

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OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/17/2021, Rochester Police Officer Timothy Luety encountered a stolen vehicle on Bartlett Street near Jefferson Avenue. Police maintained that Luety did not activate his emergency lights or siren and did not initiate an official pursuit. The stolen vehicle nevertheless accelerated away immediately after the police encounter and traveled only a short distance before the fatal collision.
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At Seward Street and Whittlesey Street, the fleeing vehicle struck a car driven by 36-year-old Tishara Pugh. Police later determined that the fleeing vehicle was traveling at least 80 mph. The impact propelled Pugh's vehicle approximately 100 feet down Whittlesey Street, where it struck a utility pole and a garage; police described the collision as so violent that the engine compartment was torn from Pugh's vehicle.
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Pugh and a male passenger who lived with her were found unconscious. Both were transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Pugh died shortly afterward, while the passenger remained hospitalized in critical condition. Four people were in the fleeing vehicle; two were ejected during the crash and all four were ultimately hospitalized or taken into custody.
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Pugh was a 36-year-old Rochester mother of five whose children ranged in age from 13 years to just 10 months. Neighbors remembered her as kind, thoughtful and a good mother, while her mother, Gloria Pugh, described her as a devoted parent who loved and enjoyed her children. Gloria Pugh also disclosed that Tishara was pregnant again when she was killed.
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Her mother described the devastating task of telling the five children that their mother was dead and said the children initially asked questions before becoming quiet and simply watching and observing what was happening around them. The family said they were holding one another up as they prepared to bury Tishara.
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EYEWITNESS OR FAMILY STATEMENTS:
Neighbor Bruce Register was inside his home with his 7-year-old son when he heard what sounded like an explosion. Register ran outside and attempted to help the people in the wreckage. Neighbor Gwendolyn Hymes described the death as senseless after seeing the destruction scattered across the neighborhood.
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DISPOSITION:
Police arrested 20-year-old Taj Isaish-Joshua McMillan-Harris four days after the crash. He was initially charged with second-degree manslaughter and four counts of second-degree assault. A Monroe County grand jury subsequently indicted him on second-degree manslaughter, three counts of second-degree assault and additional charges connected with the crash and leaving the scene.
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Officer Luety was not criminally charged for the officer's role in the police encounter that immediately preceded the fatal crash despite the fact that he had decided to conduct his own unpermitted high-speed pursuit without lights or sirens.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Officer Timothy Luety was the Rochester Police officer involved in the encounter with the stolen vehicle immediately before it accelerated away and killed Pugh. Although initial news coverage did not identify him, Pugh's family subsequently named Luety, the Rochester Police Department and the City of Rochester as defendants in civil litigation arising from her death.
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LITIGATION:
On 08/11/2023, Gloria Pugh, individually, as administrator of Tishara Pugh's estate and as guardian of Tishara's five minor children, filed a civil lawsuit in New York Supreme Court, Monroe County. The defendants included the City of Rochester, Rochester Police Department, Officer Timothy Luety, Taj I-J McMillan-Harris and Lawrence W. Smith. The family was represented by attorneys including the William Mattar law firm.

https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2021/10/18/rochester-police-involved-fatal-crash-stolen-vehicle/84567912/
https://www.whec.com/rochester-ny-news/stolen-vehicle-crash-rochester-woman-killed-police-not-pursuing/6276372/
https://www.rochesterfirst.com/news/local-news/fatal-crash-involving-stolen-vehicle-rochester-police-investigation/
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/rochester/public-safety/2021/10/18/rpd--1-dead--1-in-critical-condition-after-crash-involving-stolen-car
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/rochester/public-safety/2021/10/19/rochester-police-release-name-of-mother-of-5-killed-in-crash-involving-stolen-car
https://www.whec.com/archive/mother-of-five-identified-as-victim-of-sundays-deadly-crash-in-rochester/
https://www.whec.com/archive/family-remembers-mother-of-5-killed-in-crash-sunday/
https://www.whec.com/archive/man-charged-in-crash-that-killed-mother-of-5-sunday/
https://www.whec.com/archive/rochester-man-indicted-on-manslaughter-charge-in-crash-that-killed-mother-of-5/
https://trellis.law/doc/174578832/summons-complaint-redacted-per-22-nycrr-202-5-e

On 10/18/2021, at approximately 7:30 p.m., a 52-year-old Lakeland man was riding a 2015 Harley-Davidson westbound on Interstate 4 near State Road 559 when a Florida Highway Patrol trooper pulled his patrol cruiser into the motorcycle's path. The trooper was assisting a highway construction crew that was installing lane-closure warnings for road-repair work along the inside lane of I-4.
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According to FHP, the trooper pulled from the construction area into the westbound travel lanes as the motorcycle approached. The motorcycle collided with the right side of the FHP cruiser, throwing the rider from the Harley and onto the interstate. A tractor-trailer traveling behind the collision then struck the fallen motorcyclist. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Contemporary reporting identifies the trooper as a 30-year-old Tampa man but does not publicly name him. FHP also withheld the motorcyclist's identity under Florida's Marsy's Law, identifying him only as a 52-year-old Lakeland resident.
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The crash was not the result of a police pursuit or an attempted traffic stop. The fatal sequence began when the FHP cruiser entered the active interstate lane while the motorcyclist was approaching. Public reporting does not provide the cruiser’s speed, the motorcycle's speed, the distance between them when the trooper entered the lane, or whether the patrol vehicle's emergency lights were activated at the moment of the collision.
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DISPOSITION:
Florida Highway Patrol investigated the fatal collision. No publicly reported criminal charge against the trooper resulted from the crash.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Florida Highway Patrol did not publicly identify the 30-year-old Tampa trooper who was driving the patrol cruiser that entered the motorcycle's path.

https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-polk/motorcyclist-killed-after-crash-with-fhp-cruiser-semi-on-i-4
https://www.clickorlando.com/traffic/2021/10/19/motorcyclist-killed-when-struck-by-florida-highway-patrol-cruiser-run-over-by-big-rig/
https://www.fox13news.com/news/motorcyclist-killed-in-crash-with-fhp-cruiser-tractor-trailer-on-i-4-in-polk-county
https://patch.com/florida/lakeland/motorcyclist-hit-twice-fatal-crash-involving-patrol-car-truck

.
REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
At approximately 2:52 p.m., a Kentucky State Police Post 4 trooper observed Michael C. Beaver riding a Yamaha motorcycle eastbound on the Western Kentucky Parkway near mile marker 132 and alleged that he was speeding. The trooper activated emergency lights and attempted to stop the motorcycle. Beaver continued driving away and the trooper initiated a pursuit. Kentucky State Police did not state Beaver’s initial speed or the posted speed limit in its public account.
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OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/17/2021, Kentucky State Police pursued 36-year-old Michael C. “Mike” Beaver eastbound on the Western Kentucky Parkway after a trooper attempted to stop him for alleged speeding. Beaver continued approximately three miles to the interchange with Interstate 65, entering I-65 northbound at mile marker 91.
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The pursuit then continued north on I-65 until Beaver took Exit 94. He lost control of the Yamaha motorcycle on the northbound exit ramp and crashed. Beaver was critically injured and transported by Hardin County EMS, where he was pronounced dead. The route described by KSP establishes that the pursuit covered at least the approximately three-mile segment between I-65 mile markers 91 and 94, in addition to the preceding Western Kentucky Parkway portion; KSP did not disclose the total pursuit distance, duration, maximum speed, or the pursuing trooper’s speed.
.
Kentucky State Police initially withheld Beaver’s identity and publicly identified him three days later as Michael C. Beaver, 36. KSP’s Critical Incident Response Team investigated the fatal pursuit under Sgt. Scott Rafferty.
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Mike was a father of seven children—Nevaeha, Anastashia, Alexia, Destiny, Cameron, D.J., and a son, Michael, who had died before him. His obituary describes motorcycle riding as one of his passions and remembers him as someone who was always willing to help the people he loved. He left behind a large family that included his children, parents, six siblings, nieces, nephews and friends.
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DISPOSITION:
Kentucky State Police investigated the fatal crash through its Critical Incident Response Team. No criminal charge against the pursuing trooper is documented in the available public record.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Kentucky State Police did not publicly identify the Post 4 trooper who initiated and participated in the fatal pursuit.

https://www.kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov/news/p4-10-18-2021
https://www.facebook.com/societyalert/posts/michael-beaver-motorcycle-accident-michael-beaver-death-obituary-authorities-hav/379322047222603/
https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/22730119/michael-c-beaver/

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REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
At approximately 2:45 a.m., Maryland Transportation Authority Police Officer Theodore Jeremenko was parked at I-395 and Conway Street when he saw Jawuan Ginyard make a left turn against a red light onto I-395. Jeremenko followed and observed the Monte Carlo repeatedly accelerate and slow sharply, weave and drive onto the shoulder. Believing the driver might be impaired, Jeremenko activated his emergency equipment and attempted a traffic stop.
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OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/09/2021, Ginyard initially slowed on I-95, activated his hazard lights and pulled onto the right shoulder. Jeremenko stopped behind him and got out of his patrol vehicle. As the officer approached on foot, Ginyard drove away, and Jeremenko returned to his cruiser and initiated the pursuit.
.
The pursuit continued south on I-95 and onto I-695. Jeremenko repeatedly radioed Ginyard's speed as it increased beyond 85 mph. The subsequent crash investigation recovered much more precise information from the Monte Carlo's event-data recorder: Ginyard was traveling 111 mph as he entered the I-695 exit ramp toward eastbound Wilkens Avenue.
.
Ginyard attempted to negotiate the right-hand curve on the ramp but lost control. The Monte Carlo struck the left guardrail, then a concrete curb and grassy median separating the lanes of Wilkens Avenue before crossing the westbound lanes and striking another curb. Ginyard was ejected and suffered catastrophic head and chest injuries. Jeremenko stopped, approached the wreck and rendered aid until emergency medical personnel arrived, but Ginyard died at the scene.
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The Attorney General's investigation also established where Ginyard had been going immediately before the police encounter. A longtime friend told investigators that he and Ginyard had met to get food approximately an hour before the pursuit. After eating, they left in separate cars and were traveling to the friend's Baltimore residence. The friend was behind Ginyard at Conway Street, saw him turn against the red light and subsequently saw the police vehicle follow him onto I-395.
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The friend later encountered the pursuit again while traveling toward I-695 and saw Ginyard's car with the police cruiser behind it and its emergency lights activated. He telephoned Ginyard; Ginyard answered but did not speak. The friend then heard the fatal crash occur through the telephone and arrived at the crash scene shortly afterward.
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Ginyard was a 26-year-old Baltimore resident. The detailed state investigation provides unusually strong information about his final hour—he had been out getting food with a longtime friend and was following that friend toward his home when the police encounter began—but the publicly released investigative record contains little additional biographical information about his family, employment or personal life.
.
DISPOSITION:
The Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division conducted an independent investigation that included Jeremenko's dashboard-camera footage, police radio transmissions, witness interviews, crash reconstruction, the Monte Carlo's event-data recorder, medical-examiner findings and MDTA pursuit policies. The IID completed its investigation and forwarded its report to the Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office on 03/28/2022.
.
The Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office declined criminal prosecution on 04/06/2022. Prosecutors concluded there was no basis for criminal charges against Jeremenko for his role in initiating or continuing the pursuit.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Theodore Jeremenko was a Senior Officer with the Maryland Transportation Authority Police and had approximately 10 years with the department when the fatal pursuit occurred. He was assigned to the Operations Support Unit. The Baltimore County State's Attorney subsequently declined prosecution..
.

https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/state-investigators-release-report-in-police-pursuit-that-ended-in-fatal-baltimore-county-crash/
https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/attorney-general-releases-footage-from-police-pursuit-preceding-fatal-one-car-crash/
https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/Pages/IID/Reports/042922_Full_Report_Redacted.pdf
https://www.wbaltv.com/article/jawuan-james-ginyard-crash/37927433
https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/video-released-of-police-chase-that-ended-in-fatal-crash-in-baltimore-county
https://www.wmar2news.com/news/local-news/report-finds-no-evidence-of-mdta-officer-acting-negligently-recklessly-leading-up-to-deadly-pursuit
https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/officers-wont-be-charged-in-baltimore-county-deaths-prosecutors-question-states-delay-in-reports/
https://www.wbal.com/one-person-dead-after-police-chase-turned-car-accident

On 10/09/2021, shortly before 7:30 p.m., 40-year-old Angel L. Acevedo Jr. and his wife, 35-year-old Daniela Correia Salles, were traveling in their 2020 Toyota Corolla eastbound on Asbury Avenue beneath the Garden State Parkway in Tinton Falls when an off-duty Hillside Police officer's pickup truck suddenly left the elevated Parkway and crashed into their car. Both Angel and Daniela suffered catastrophic injuries and died at the scene.
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The officer, John P. McClave III, was driving a 2018 GMC Canyon northbound on the Garden State Parkway while on his way to work at the Hillside Police Department. Investigators determined that McClave's pickup left the travel lane, crossed the shoulder and continued for more than 500 feet across a grassy embankment without significantly slowing or changing direction. The pickup hit an embankment, became airborne above Asbury Avenue and came down onto the couple's Corolla before continuing across the road and striking a tree.
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McClave was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Investigators subsequently determined that he had been driving recklessly while impaired. His blood tested positive for THC, toxicology evidence concluded he was impaired, and investigators found an open container of alcohol in his vehicle. He was also cited for reckless driving, failure to maintain his lane, failure to wear a seat belt and having an open alcohol container.
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Angel was an accomplished engineer who grew up in Atlantic Highlands, graduated from Dartmouth College with an engineering degree and earned a master's degree from the Naval Postgraduate School. He began working as an engineer for the U.S. Army in 2006 and rose to become Chief of Mission Network Communications at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Colleagues remembered him for his reasoned judgment and infectious laugh.
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Angel and Daniela were described by their family as soulmates. They loved traveling, hiking, skiing, photography and gathering friends and relatives at their home, and were remembered for their kindness, humor and positivity. Angel left behind his mother, sister, niece, three younger brothers and a large extended family.
.
DISPOSITION:
McClave was charged in March 2022 with two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide. Hillside Police suspended him without pay following the charges. The criminal case was later transferred from Monmouth County to Ocean County because of a potential conflict of interest.
.
Following a weeklong trial, an Ocean County jury convicted McClave in March 2026 of two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide. On 05/08/2026, Superior Court Judge David M. Fritch sentenced McClave to two consecutive 8½-year prison terms—one for killing Angel and one for killing Daniela—for a total sentence of 17 years. He must serve 85 percent of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
John P. McClave III was a Hillside Police officer and later detective. At the time he killed Angel and Daniela, he was off duty but driving to the Hillside Police Department to begin work. Hillside Police subsequently suspended him without pay, and by the time of his 2026 conviction and sentencing he was identified as a former Hillside police officer.
.
Hillside Police disciplinary records later documented a 288-day suspension against McClave and sustained departmental charges including conduct unbecoming, violations of the code of ethics and standards of conduct, disobedience of laws and written directives, insubordination and other sufficient cause.

https://patch.com/new-jersey/middletown-nj/tinton-falls-cop-headed-work-caused-fatal-parkway-crash
https://apnews.com/article/police-new-jersey-homicide-maryland-baltimore-2fb18070033b26a207ec73b9fac0bf7f
https://www.damianofuneralhome.com/obituary/AngelLAcevedoJrand-DanielaCorreiaSalles
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Off-duty-NJ-officer-charged-in-crash-that-killed-17015147.php
https://patch.com/new-jersey/clark/union-county-police-officer-was-drunk-fatal-crash-prosecutor
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/police-officer-sentenced-new-jersey-union-county-crash-deadly/4401999/
https://patch.com/new-jersey/tomsriver/ex-police-officer-toms-river-sentenced-fatal-drunken-parkway-crash
https://hillsidepolice.org/css/hillsidepd/attachments/24593/65dfb6a0471c8_2023_Discipline_Report.pdf

On 10/09/2021, shortly before 7:30 p.m., 35-year-old Daniela Correia Salles was riding with her husband, 40-year-old Angel L. Acevedo Jr., in their 2020 Toyota Corolla eastbound on Asbury Avenue beneath the Garden State Parkway in Tinton Falls when an off-duty Hillside Police officer's pickup left the elevated Parkway and crashed into their car. Daniela and Angel sustained catastrophic injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene.
.
Officer John P. McClave III was driving a 2018 GMC Canyon northbound on the Garden State Parkway while traveling to work at the Hillside Police Department. Investigators determined that his pickup left the travel lane, crossed the shoulder and continued for more than 500 feet across the grassy embankment without significantly slowing or changing direction. The truck struck an embankment, became airborne and came down onto the couple's Corolla on Asbury Avenue before continuing across the roadway and striking a tree.
.
Investigators subsequently determined that McClave had been driving recklessly while impaired. His blood tested positive for THC, toxicology evidence concluded he was impaired, and an open container of alcohol was found in his vehicle. McClave survived with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
.
Daniela grew up in Salvador, Brazil, became a physician specializing in pathology and came to the United States to advance her medical career at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her family described her as intelligent, beautiful and optimistic. Angel was immensely proud of her career and described her as his soulmate.
.
Daniela and Angel shared a life centered around family, friends and travel. They explored hiking trails together, traveled internationally, skied, enjoyed photography and regularly brought people together at their home. Friends and relatives remembered them for their kindness, humor and positive outlook. Daniela left behind her parents, two sisters, a niece and extended family in Brazil.
.
DISPOSITION:
McClave was charged in March 2022 with two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide and was suspended without pay by the Hillside Police Department. The prosecution was eventually transferred from Monmouth County to Ocean County because of a potential conflict of interest.
.
Following a weeklong trial, an Ocean County jury convicted McClave in March 2026 of two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide. On 05/08/2026, Superior Court Judge David M. Fritch sentenced him to consecutive 8½-year terms for killing Daniela and Angel, totaling 17 years in state prison. McClave must serve 85 percent of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
John P. McClave III was a Hillside Police officer and later detective. He was off duty but driving to the Hillside Police Department to begin work when he killed Daniela and Angel. Hillside Police suspended him without pay following the criminal charges, and he was a former Hillside officer by the time he was convicted and sentenced.
.
Hillside Police disciplinary records later documented a 288-day suspension against McClave and sustained departmental charges including conduct unbecoming, violations of the code of ethics and standards of conduct, disobedience of laws and written directives, insubordination and other sufficient cause.

https://patch.com/new-jersey/middletown-nj/tinton-falls-cop-headed-work-caused-fatal-parkway-crash
https://apnews.com/article/police-new-jersey-homicide-maryland-baltimore-2fb18070033b26a207ec73b9fac0bf7f
https://www.damianofuneralhome.com/obituary/AngelLAcevedoJrand-DanielaCorreiaSalles
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Off-duty-NJ-officer-charged-in-crash-that-killed-17015147.php
https://patch.com/new-jersey/clark/union-county-police-officer-was-drunk-fatal-crash-prosecutor
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/police-officer-sentenced-new-jersey-union-county-crash-deadly/4401999/
https://patch.com/new-jersey/tomsriver/ex-police-officer-toms-river-sentenced-fatal-drunken-parkway-crash
https://hillsidepolice.org/css/hillsidepd/attachments/24593/65dfb6a0471c8_2023_Discipline_Report.pdf

.
REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
At approximately 1:10 a.m., West Allis Police officers observed a vehicle being driven recklessly near South 80th Street and West National Avenue and attempted a traffic stop. The driver continued driving away, and officers initiated a pursuit. Later police information placed the attempted stop in the 1900 block of South 82nd Street.
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OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/06/2021, West Allis Police pursued the vehicle east along National Avenue toward Milwaukee after attempting the reckless-driving stop. Police reported that the driver continued at high speed and disregarded stop signs. The pursuit extended roughly 60 blocks from the area of South 80th Street to South 21st Street.
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At South 21st Street and West National Avenue, the fleeing vehicle struck 34-year-old pedestrian Calob House. The driver continued east after striking him. West Allis officers terminated the pursuit at that point and attempted to save House, but he died at the scene. A nearby resident, Kevin Skenandore, described hearing screeching tires, approaching police vehicles and then the impact.
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House was a Milwaukee native and father of four children, all younger than 12. He lived only minutes from the intersection where he was killed. That night, House had been celebrating his girlfriend's birthday and was walking to meet her when the police pursuit reached the intersection. His father described him as a good kid with a strong sense of humor and a great father who had been looking forward to watching the Milwaukee Brewers in the playoffs.
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House's brother, Michael House, questioned the consequences of the pursuit, asking why his brother's children should be left without their father “off of a traffic violation.” He emphasized that Calob was innocent of the events that brought police into the area and later appealed publicly for information so his children could eventually have answers about his death.
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The driver was not identified or arrested. Four years later, West Allis Police continued to classify House's death as an unsolved cold case and renewed its request for information. Police described the vehicle as a silver 2002–2006 Nissan Altima with heavily tinted windows, substantial passenger-side front-end damage and a missing passenger-side mirror. A reward was offered for information leading to an arrest.
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DISPOSITION:
No West Allis Police officer was criminally charged for an officer's role in initiating or continuing the pursuit. The driver who struck and killed House remained unidentified when police renewed their appeal for information in 2025.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The West Allis Police Department did not publicly identify the officers who initiated and participated in the fatal pursuit.

https://www.wisn.com/article/pedestrian-hit-and-killed-during-police-chase/37881958
https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/pedestrian-struck-and-killed-by-suspect-during-police-chase
https://www.fox6now.com/news/man-fatally-struck-by-vehicle-near-21st-and-national
https://www.fox6now.com/news/hit-and-run-victims-brother-pleads-to-community
https://www.fox6now.com/news/west-allis-police-fleeing-vehicle-suspect
https://www.cbs58.com/news/fatal-car-vs-pedestrian-crash-near-21st-and-national-in-milwaukee-road-closed-and-traffic-being-rerouted
https://www.fox6now.com/news/west-allis-2021-death-investigation-police-seeking-new-information
https://www.cbs58.com/news/west-allis-police-seek-new-leads-into-fatal-hit-and-run-near-21st-and-national

.
REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
Shortly before midnight, Toledo Police attempted to stop the vehicle on Hill Avenue after officers observed it traveling at high speed. The driver initially pulled over, but as officers approached on foot, he drove away and police initiated a pursuit.
.
EVENT NARRATIVE:
On 10/05/2021, shortly before midnight, Toledo Police attempted the traffic stop on Hill Avenue. When the driver drove away, officers escalated a pursuit through central Toledo. The chase continued along Hill Avenue, Byrne Road, Dorr Street, Elysian Avenue and Nebraska Avenue. Contemporary reporting and later court coverage establish that the pursuit lasted approximately three minutes and that the vehicle reached about 120 mph.
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The pursuit ended in the 1600 block of Nebraska Avenue when the driver lost control and crashed violently into a duplex. The vehicle overturned and penetrated the lower portion of the residence. Twenty-year-old passenger Kemarr Thomas suffered multiple blunt-force injuries and died at the scene. The driver suffered serious injuries.
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The impact caused major structural damage to the duplex. A woman upstairs had to be removed through a second-floor window because the wreckage blocked the normal exits.
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Kemarr, known to his family as “Marr-Marr,” had turned 20 less than a year before his death. His obituary describes him as funny, energetic and deeply attached to his family and friends. He loved basketball, but his newest and greatest love was his infant son, Kemarr Thomas Jr.; his family said becoming a father had changed his outlook on life and that he was intensely proud of his little boy. He left behind his son, parents, siblings and a large extended family.
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TOTAL FATALITIES/INJURIES:
1 Fatality, 1 Serious Injury.
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DISPOSITION:
Lee Moore was indicted on charges arising from the fatal pursuit crash and later pleaded no contest to vehicular homicide. In October 2023, he was sentenced to 16 months for vehicular homicide plus a consecutive 12-month sentence because he was on parole, for a total of 28 months incarceration.
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No Toledo Police officer was criminally charged for an officer’s role in initiating or continuing the approximately three-minute pursuit that reached about 120 mph.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Toledo Police Department did not publicly identify the officer or officers who initiated and participated in the fatal pursuit.
.
LITIGATION:
None found.

https://www.13abc.com/2023/10/25/toledo-man-sentenced-oct-2021-police-chase-crash-that-killed-passenger/
https://www.toledoblade.com/local/courts/2023/10/25/toledo-man-gets-26-months-in-fatal-crash-at-end-of-police-chase/stories/20231025086.html
https://www.wtol.com/article/news/crime/toledo-man-indicted-aggravated-vehicular-homicide-october-duplex-crash/512-8c39dbdb-c86e-4c16-8301-a67561686ef2
https://www.yahoo.com/news/chase-ends-fatal-crash-driver-040100247.html

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REASON WHY POLICE ENCOUNTER WAS INITIATED:
The events began when a foster parent called 911 concerning a teenage boy in her care. During the incident, the teenager took a vehicle without permission and drove away. Police were responding to the reported vehicle theft when the subsequent driving sequence ended in the fatal crash near Noe Bixby Road and Refugee Road. Later prosecution coverage specifically traced the fatal crash back to the foster parent’s 911 call.
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OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/03/2021, at approximately 8:50 a.m., a vehicle driven by a teenager who had left his foster placement and taken the vehicle without permission crashed head-on into a vehicle driven by 58-year-old Paula Kathren Kennedy near Noe Bixby Road and Refugee Road in southeast Columbus. Federal crash data record the fatal collision on Noe Bixby Road at 8:50 a.m.
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The collision killed Kennedy and seriously injured the teenage driver. The crash was severe and both vehicles sustained extensive damage. The case later resulted in a juvenile vehicular-homicide prosecution, with subsequent reporting examining the sequence beginning with the foster parent’s call to authorities and ending with Kennedy’s death.
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Kennedy was not simply an unidentified motorist caught in the crash. She was a longtime Groveport Madison Schools employee who had spent years working directly with generations of students and families. School records show that Paula Kennedy worked in clerical positions in the district going back at least to 2008; by 2018–2019 she was the cashier in the Groveport Madison High School main office, handling student fees and payments.
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Her death hit the school particularly hard because Kennedy was one of the familiar people students encountered throughout their high-school years. Groveport Madison High School publicly mourned her death as an “absolute tragedy,” and the school community subsequently held a memorial for its longtime secretary.
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Kennedy's connection to the school community continued to be recognized years after her death. In 2024, Groveport Madison Schools posthumously selected Paula Kathren Kennedy for one of the district's alumni/community awards, preserving her name among people recognized for their contributions to the Groveport Madison community.
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The fatal crash therefore ended a relationship between Kennedy and Groveport Madison Schools that had lasted well over a decade. Public employment records place her in clerical work at Groveport Madison High School in 2008 and 2009, at Groveport Madison Junior High School in 2012, and again at the high school in later years.
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DISPOSITION:
The teenage driver survived. In 2022, prosecutors pursued a vehicular-homicide case against him in juvenile court arising from Kennedy's death. Reporting on that prosecution disclosed that he had been in foster care and that the chain of events preceding the fatal collision began with a 911 call from his foster parent.
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No Columbus police officer was criminally charged for an officer’s role in the police response preceding Kennedy’s death.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The officers involved in the police response preceding the fatal crash were not publicly identified.

https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/groveport-madison-hs-remembers-longtime-secretary-who-died-after-crash/530-058ddd68-66c8-4053-9f8b-125c2605562b
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OeVwcYs5lg
https://www.gocruisers.org/our-district/alumni/awards
https://www.gocruisers.org/Downloads/2018-2019%20POS.pdf

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REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
At approximately 10:30 p.m., a Houston Police sergeant saw a white Infiniti G37 doing donuts and burnouts in a parking lot near Fairdale Lane and Fountain View Drive. The sergeant activated the patrol vehicle's emergency lights and siren and attempted a traffic stop. The driver continued driving away and police initiated a pursuit.
.
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/01/2021, Houston Police pursued the Infiniti from the parking lot through the surrounding residential area. The fleeing vehicle reached approximately 60 mph in a 30-mph area before reaching three Prospect Park valet workers walking back toward the restaurant after parking customers' vehicles.
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The Infiniti struck 23-year-old Nick Rodriguez and his coworkers Fnan Measho and Eric Orduna. All three died at the scene. The vehicle subsequently entered a ditch and flipped. Sixteen-year-old passenger Mohammed Alkatip was ejected and seriously injured, undergoing multiple surgeries for injuries to both legs.
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Nick had already survived a life-threatening ordeal long before the crash: he had battled leukemia as a child and survived. At 23, he was attending Sam Houston State University and pursuing a career in music therapy. His family said he wanted to use music to work with children with special needs. He was working as a valet while completing his education when he was killed.
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Nick's family remembered the bitter contrast between surviving childhood leukemia and then being killed while simply working his valet job. His relatives joined the families of Fnan and Eric in mourning the three young men, and Prospect Park held a balloon release outside the restaurant in their memory.
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DISPOSITION:
Ahmedal Tayeb Elnouman Modawi was charged with three counts of murder and aggravated assault with serious bodily injury. He later pleaded guilty in connection with the deaths of Nick, Fnan and Eric. On 06/30/2023, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
.
No Houston Police officer was criminally charged for an officer's role in initiating or continuing the pursuit.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Houston Police Department did not publicly identify the sergeant who initiated and participated in the fatal pursuit.

https://abc13.com/prospect-park-workers-killed-fnan-measho-eric-orduna-nick-rodriguez/11076546/
https://abc13.com/prospect-park-valet-workers-killed-sports-bar-ahmedal-tayeb-elnouman-modawi/11081879/
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/10/02/3-valet-workers-killed-after-suspect-involved-in-pursuit-crashes-near-nightclub-in-southwest-houston/
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/10/04/families-mourn-the-valets-killed-friday-by-a-driver-attempting-to-evade-police/
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/crime/article/valet-deaths-modawi-18178818.php

.
REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
At approximately 10:30 p.m., a Houston Police sergeant saw a white Infiniti G37 doing donuts and burnouts in a parking lot near Fairdale Lane and Fountain View Drive. The sergeant activated the patrol vehicle's emergency lights and siren and attempted a traffic stop. The driver continued driving away and police initiated a pursuit.
.
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/01/2021, Houston Police pursued the Infiniti from the parking lot into the surrounding residential streets. The fleeing vehicle reached approximately 60 mph in a 30-mph area before reaching three Prospect Park valet workers walking back toward the restaurant after parking customers' vehicles.
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The Infiniti struck Eric Orduna, Fnan Measho and Nick Rodriguez. All three young men were killed at the scene. The fleeing vehicle subsequently entered a ditch, flipped and crashed. Sixteen-year-old passenger Mohammed Alkatip was ejected and seriously injured, requiring multiple surgeries to his legs.
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Eric was born in Houston on 07/27/1999 and was the youngest of three siblings. His family remembered him as kind, loving, selfless and exceptionally devoted to his parents and siblings. He loved cars and football and was working regularly as a valet to save money for a car, but his larger ambition was to earn enough eventually to buy his parents a house.
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Eric also dreamed of studying music and possibly attending Rice University. His family described him as unusually responsible for his age: he cared little about expensive clothes, new phones or social-media attention, rarely went out and reliably worked his Friday and Saturday shifts. On the night he died, he was doing exactly that—working his regular valet shift and walking back after parking a customer's vehicle.
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Eric's mother, Rose Orduna, publicly questioned the Houston Police pursuit after her son's death and struggled with not knowing what he experienced during his final moments. His sister Elizabeth described the lifelong grief of losing her youngest brother, while his older brother Junior joined the other families in demanding justice for all three men.
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DISPOSITION:
Ahmedal Tayeb Elnouman Modawi was charged with three counts of murder and aggravated assault with serious bodily injury. He later pleaded guilty in connection with the three deaths and was sentenced on 06/30/2023 to 10 years in prison.
.
No Houston Police officer was criminally charged for an officer's role in initiating or continuing the pursuit.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Houston Police Department did not publicly identify the sergeant who initiated and participated in the fatal pursuit.

https://abc13.com/prospect-park-workers-killed-fnan-measho-eric-orduna-nick-rodriguez/11076546/
https://abc13.com/prospect-park-valet-workers-killed-sports-bar-ahmedal-tayeb-elnouman-modawi/11081879/
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/10/04/families-mourn-the-valets-killed-friday-by-a-driver-attempting-to-evade-police/
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/houston-tx/eric-orduna-10391367
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/crime/article/Teen-driver-charged-in-deaths-of-three-valets-16507611.php
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/crime/article/valet-deaths-modawi-18178818.php

.
REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
At approximately 10:30 p.m., a Houston Police sergeant saw a white Infiniti G37 doing donuts and burnouts in a parking lot near Fairdale Lane and Fountain View Drive. The sergeant activated the patrol vehicle's emergency lights and siren and attempted a traffic stop. The driver continued driving away and police initiated a pursuit.
.
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/01/2021, Houston Police pursued the Infiniti from the parking lot into the surrounding residential streets. The fleeing vehicle reached approximately 60 mph in an area with a 30-mph speed limit. The pursuit covered only a short distance before reaching three Prospect Park Sports Bar and Kitchen valet workers who were walking back toward the restaurant after parking customers' vehicles.
.
The Infiniti struck all three workers—18-year-old Fnan Measho, 22-year-old Eric Augustine Orduna and 23-year-old Nick Rodriguez. All three died at the scene. The Infiniti then entered a ditch, flipped and crashed into a fixed object.
.
Sixteen-year-old Mohammed Alkatip, a passenger in the fleeing vehicle and also a valet worker, was ejected and seriously injured. He underwent three surgeries in three days for injuries to both legs.
.
Fnan had graduated from Bellaire High School only months before his death, where he competed for three years in cross-country and track. His coach Shardrick Johnson nicknamed him “Motormouth” because of his outgoing personality. Fnan was working while attending the University of Houston-Downtown, where he was studying criminology and hoped to become a police officer. He was active in his Eritrean church and helped financially support his parents and three younger siblings, with whom he shared a bedroom.
.
The families of Fnan, Eric and Nick gathered for a public balloon release outside Prospect Park after their deaths. Fnan's family and Eric's family met and grieved together at the memorial.
.
DISPOSITION:
Ahmedal Tayeb Elnouman Modawi was charged with three counts of murder and aggravated assault with serious bodily injury. He later pleaded guilty in connection with the deaths of all three valet workers. On 06/30/2023, a Harris County judge sentenced him to 10 years in prison.
.
No Houston Police officer was criminally charged for an officer's role in initiating or continuing the pursuit.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Houston Police Department did not publicly identify the sergeant who initiated and participated in the fatal pursuit.

https://abc13.com/prospect-park-workers-killed-fnan-measho-eric-orduna-nick-rodriguez/11076546/
https://abc13.com/prospect-park-valet-workers-killed-sports-bar-ahmedal-tayeb-elnouman-modawi/11081879/
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/10/02/3-valet-workers-killed-after-suspect-involved-in-pursuit-crashes-near-nightclub-in-southwest-houston/
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/10/04/families-mourn-the-valets-killed-friday-by-a-driver-attempting-to-evade-police/
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/A-huge-loss-18-year-old-Bellaire-grad-16506496.php
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/crime/article/valet-deaths-modawi-18178818.php

.
REASON FOR POLICE CHASE:
Speeding and alleged reckless driving. Police said a Lakeville officer observed the motorcyclist traveling 68 mph in a 40-mph zone on Main Street and attempted a traffic stop.
.
EVENT NARRATIVE:
On 10/01/2021, at approximately 11:45 p.m., an unidentified male motorcyclist was killed after a Lakeville Police Department officer attempted to stop him on Main Street in Lakeville. Police said the officer observed the motorcycle being driven recklessly at 68 mph in a posted 40-mph zone and attempted a traffic stop.
.
According to police, the motorcyclist continued driving away while the Lakeville officer pursued him along Main Street. Police described the pursuit only as brief and did not publicly disclose its duration, distance, the officer's speed, or the motorcycle's speed after the pursuit began. No PIT/TVI maneuver, stop sticks, roadblock, or physical contact between the police cruiser and motorcycle was reported.
.
Police said the officer discontinued the pursuit when the motorcycle turned from Main Street onto Vaughan Street because continuing the chase presented a safety risk. A short time later, the same officer continued along the motorcycle's route on Vaughan Street and found that the motorcycle had crashed into a utility pole just over the town line in Middleborough. Available public accounts do not establish how much time elapsed between the stated termination of the pursuit and discovery of the crash, how far behind the motorcycle the officer was, or the motorcycle's speed when it struck the pole.
.
The officer called for medical assistance and provided aid to the motorcyclist. Lakeville Fire Department personnel transported him by ambulance to Morton Hospital in Taunton, where he died from his injuries.
.
Police initially withheld the man's identity pending notification of his family. A further open-source identity search did not establish his identity with sufficient reliability to replace “Name Not Disclosed.”
.
The fatal crash was investigated by the Lakeville Police Department, Middleborough Police Department and Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section. The officer was not criminally charged for his role in initiating the pursuit.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Lakeville officer who initiated the pursuit has not been publicly identified.

https://www.facebook.com/LakevilleMAFD/posts/pfbid0343yPcyVLJi5pivtjNQ594UhTu88GLvG96ifZAxo9pczwK6N3JjQJLXmfiuqymMvrl
https://middleboroughpolice.com/2021/10/02/lakeville-and-middleboro-police-respond-to-fatal-motorcycle-crash-friday-night/
https://www.wcvb.com/article/deadly-motorcycle-crash-lakeville-middleborough/37832874
https://www.wbur.org/news/2021/10/02/motorcyclist-killed-after-crash-in-middleboro-after-chase-with-police
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/10/02/metro/motorcyclist-dies-crash-after-lakeville-police-chase-called-off/
https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/police-motorcycle-driver-dies-crash-brief-chase/
https://whdh.com/news/motorcyclist-killed-in-crash-near-middleboro-lakeville-line-following-brief-police-chase/

On 09/26/2021, 19-year-old Gabriel Salazar and his three passengers were killed in a fiery crash during a Crystal City Police Department pursuit on U.S. Highway 83 in Zavala County. Salazar, a San Antonio resident known online as “Gabenotbabe,” was driving a white 2014 Chevrolet Camaro north toward La Pryor.
.
The pursuit began at approximately 1:20 a.m. when a Zavala County sheriff’s deputy heard a Crystal City police officer initiate a traffic stop on U.S. 83 at FM 3292. The Crystal City officer soon radioed that the Camaro was continuing north and that the officer was pursuing it. Contemporary authorities and news reports did not disclose the specific traffic violation or other reason Crystal City police initially attempted to stop Salazar. That initiating reason remains an important unresolved part of the encounter.
.
A Zavala County sheriff’s deputy joined the police effort and attempted to deploy a tire-deflation device. Initial accounts described the deployment as unsuccessful. However, a later Human Rights Watch investigation of Operation Lone Star pursuit deaths reported that the stop device damaged Salazar’s vehicle before it continued out of control.
.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Camaro left the roadway, Salazar overcorrected, and the vehicle crossed the highway into the west ditch. It struck several trees, rolled multiple times and caught fire. Salazar and all three passengers were pronounced dead at the scene. The ruptured fuel tank reportedly complicated attempts to extinguish the fire.
.
The three passengers were Jose Luis Jimenez Mora, 41, Jose Molina Lara, 23, and Sergio Espinoza Flores, 36, all Mexican nationals from Zacatecas. Authorities subsequently said they were undocumented immigrants and opened a separate investigation into whether Salazar had been transporting them as part of a human-smuggling operation. Homeland Security Investigations assisted in that investigation. The suspected smuggling was identified after the fatal crash; available reporting did not establish that Crystal City police knew this when the officer initiated the traffic stop, and authorities did not identify it as the original reason for attempting to stop Salazar.
.
The broader context of this pursuit became substantially clearer after the initial reporting. Zavala County had joined Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star approximately two months before Salazar and his passengers were killed. Human Rights Watch later examined this crash as part of its investigation of deaths associated with aggressive vehicle pursuits under Operation Lone Star and characterized the four deaths as part of a broader pattern of preventable pursuit fatalities involving young drivers and migrants in Texas border counties.
.
Salazar’s family and friends publicly mourned him and established a memorial fundraiser. His sister Danna Salazar wrote that she would give anything to have her younger brother back and described the family’s profound loss. The later Human Rights Watch investigation strongly challenged the broader law-enforcement pursuit practices that produced deaths such as these, but available reporting does not document the Salazar family itself publicly alleging that police caused the crash or filing an encounter-related wrongful-death or civil-rights lawsuit.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND
The Crystal City police officer who initiated and continued the pursuit has not been publicly identified in the records and reporting located for this update. The Zavala County deputy who attempted to deploy the tire-deflation device also has not been publicly identified.
.
The departmental context is significant because the pursuit occurred shortly after Zavala County joined Operation Lone Star. Human Rights Watch subsequently documented a broader pattern of dangerous and deadly law-enforcement vehicle pursuits connected with the border-enforcement program and specifically included the Salazar crash in its investigation. The organization concluded that Operation Lone Star pursuit practices endangered both migrants and Texas residents and documented cases in which stops for minor or poorly articulated reasons escalated into high-speed pursuits and fatal crashes.
.
Crystal City Police Department also has a documented history of serious misconduct predating this pursuit. Former Crystal City police officer Jimmy Aguilar was convicted by a federal jury on civil-rights charges after repeatedly assaulting a handcuffed man, including choking him, forcing a handgun barrel into his mouth and threatening to kill him, then providing a false statement to the FBI and encouraging other officers to give false accounts. The prosecution was brought by the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
.
Serious problems have continued at the department since Salazar’s death. In 2025, Crystal City police officer Abel Hernandez resigned in lieu of termination and was arrested during an investigation in which authorities alleged he made inappropriate comments to children he encountered while on duty and improperly disclosed sensitive law-enforcement information, including warning a wanted person about an active arrest warrant. In 2026, a parent filed a police report against two Crystal City officers after teenagers alleged that officers pointed firearms at them and aggressively detained children during execution of an arrest warrant; the department disputed portions of the teenagers’ account.
.
The most consequential unresolved issue in Salazar’s individual case remains much simpler: despite four deaths, contemporary authorities never publicly explained why the Crystal City officer initiated the traffic stop that escalated into the pursuit.

https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2021/09/30/texas-tiktok-star-gabriel-salazar-killed-in-fiery-police-pursuit-crash-in-zavala-county/
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10042021/TikTok-star-Gabriel-Salazar-19-three-passengers-die-fiery-crash-high-speed-chase.html
https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/TikTok-Gabenotbabe-Gabriel-Salazar-fiery-car-crash-16493178.php
https://www.eonline.com/ca/news/1304481/tiktok-star-gabriel-salazar-dead-at-19-following-police-chase
https://www.insideedition.com/tiktok-star-gabriel-salazar-aka-gabenotbabe-dies-in-car-crash-following-police-chase-in-texas-cops
https://www.univision.com/local/san-antonio-kwex/muere-texas-tiktok-star-gabriel-salazar-accidente
https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/11/27/so-much-blood-ground/dangerous-and-deadly-vehicle-pursuits-under-texas-operation
https://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2004/September/04_crt_601.htm
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2025/03/28/crystal-city-police-officer-resigns-arrested-amid-child-exploitation-investigation-authorities-say/
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2026/04/18/report-filed-against-crystal-city-police-officers-for-being-so-aggressive-woman-says/

On 09/26/2021, 19-year-old Gabriel Salazar and his three passengers were killed in a fiery crash during a Crystal City Police Department pursuit on U.S. Highway 83 in Zavala County. Salazar, a San Antonio resident known online as “Gabenotbabe,” was driving a white 2014 Chevrolet Camaro north toward La Pryor.
.
The pursuit began at approximately 1:20 a.m. when a Zavala County sheriff’s deputy heard a Crystal City police officer initiate a traffic stop on U.S. 83 at FM 3292. The Crystal City officer soon radioed that the Camaro was continuing north and that the officer was pursuing it. Contemporary authorities and news reports did not disclose the specific traffic violation or other reason Crystal City police initially attempted to stop Salazar. That initiating reason remains an important unresolved part of the encounter.
.
A Zavala County sheriff’s deputy joined the police effort and attempted to deploy a tire-deflation device. Initial accounts described the deployment as unsuccessful. However, a later Human Rights Watch investigation of Operation Lone Star pursuit deaths reported that the stop device damaged Salazar’s vehicle before it continued out of control.
.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Camaro left the roadway, Salazar overcorrected, and the vehicle crossed the highway into the west ditch. It struck several trees, rolled multiple times and caught fire. Salazar and all three passengers were pronounced dead at the scene. The ruptured fuel tank reportedly complicated attempts to extinguish the fire.
.
The three passengers were Jose Luis Jimenez Mora, 41, Jose Molina Lara, 23, and Sergio Espinoza Flores, 36, all Mexican nationals from Zacatecas. Authorities subsequently said they were undocumented immigrants and opened a separate investigation into whether Salazar had been transporting them as part of a human-smuggling operation. Homeland Security Investigations assisted in that investigation. The suspected smuggling was identified after the fatal crash; available reporting did not establish that Crystal City police knew this when the officer initiated the traffic stop, and authorities did not identify it as the original reason for attempting to stop Salazar.
.
The broader context of this pursuit became substantially clearer after the initial reporting. Zavala County had joined Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star approximately two months before Salazar and his passengers were killed. Human Rights Watch later examined this crash as part of its investigation of deaths associated with aggressive vehicle pursuits under Operation Lone Star and characterized the four deaths as part of a broader pattern of preventable pursuit fatalities involving young drivers and migrants in Texas border counties.
.
Salazar’s family and friends publicly mourned him and established a memorial fundraiser. His sister Danna Salazar wrote that she would give anything to have her younger brother back and described the family’s profound loss. The later Human Rights Watch investigation strongly challenged the broader law-enforcement pursuit practices that produced deaths such as these, but available reporting does not document the Salazar family itself publicly alleging that police caused the crash or filing an encounter-related wrongful-death or civil-rights lawsuit.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND
The Crystal City police officer who initiated and continued the pursuit has not been publicly identified in the records and reporting located for this update. The Zavala County deputy who attempted to deploy the tire-deflation device also has not been publicly identified.
.
The departmental context is significant because the pursuit occurred shortly after Zavala County joined Operation Lone Star. Human Rights Watch subsequently documented a broader pattern of dangerous and deadly law-enforcement vehicle pursuits connected with the border-enforcement program and specifically included the Salazar crash in its investigation. The organization concluded that Operation Lone Star pursuit practices endangered both migrants and Texas residents and documented cases in which stops for minor or poorly articulated reasons escalated into high-speed pursuits and fatal crashes.
.
Crystal City Police Department also has a documented history of serious misconduct predating this pursuit. Former Crystal City police officer Jimmy Aguilar was convicted by a federal jury on civil-rights charges after repeatedly assaulting a handcuffed man, including choking him, forcing a handgun barrel into his mouth and threatening to kill him, then providing a false statement to the FBI and encouraging other officers to give false accounts. The prosecution was brought by the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
.
Serious problems have continued at the department since Salazar’s death. In 2025, Crystal City police officer Abel Hernandez resigned in lieu of termination and was arrested during an investigation in which authorities alleged he made inappropriate comments to children he encountered while on duty and improperly disclosed sensitive law-enforcement information, including warning a wanted person about an active arrest warrant. In 2026, a parent filed a police report against two Crystal City officers after teenagers alleged that officers pointed firearms at them and aggressively detained children during execution of an arrest warrant; the department disputed portions of the teenagers’ account.
.
The most consequential unresolved issue in Salazar’s individual case remains much simpler: despite four deaths, contemporary authorities never publicly explained why the Crystal City officer initiated the traffic stop that escalated into the pursuit.

https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2021/09/30/texas-tiktok-star-gabriel-salazar-killed-in-fiery-police-pursuit-crash-in-zavala-county/
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10042021/TikTok-star-Gabriel-Salazar-19-three-passengers-die-fiery-crash-high-speed-chase.html
https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/TikTok-Gabenotbabe-Gabriel-Salazar-fiery-car-crash-16493178.php
https://www.insideedition.com/tiktok-star-gabriel-salazar-aka-gabenotbabe-dies-in-car-crash-following-police-chase-in-texas-cops
https://www.univision.com/local/san-antonio-kwex/muere-texas-tiktok-star-gabriel-salazar-accidente
https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/11/27/so-much-blood-ground/dangerous-and-deadly-vehicle-pursuits-under-texas-operation
https://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2004/September/04_crt_601.htm
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2025/03/28/crystal-city-police-officer-resigns-arrested-amid-child-exploitation-investigation-authorities-say/
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2026/04/18/report-filed-against-crystal-city-police-officers-for-being-so-aggressive-woman-says/

On 09/26/2021, 19-year-old Gabriel Salazar and his three passengers were killed in a fiery crash during a Crystal City Police Department pursuit on U.S. Highway 83 in Zavala County. Salazar, a San Antonio resident known online as “Gabenotbabe,” was driving a white 2014 Chevrolet Camaro north toward La Pryor.
.
The pursuit began at approximately 1:20 a.m. when a Zavala County sheriff’s deputy heard a Crystal City police officer initiate a traffic stop on U.S. 83 at FM 3292. The Crystal City officer soon radioed that the Camaro was continuing north and that the officer was pursuing it. Contemporary authorities and news reports did not disclose the specific traffic violation or other reason Crystal City police initially attempted to stop Salazar. That initiating reason remains an important unresolved part of the encounter.
.
A Zavala County sheriff’s deputy joined the police effort and attempted to deploy a tire-deflation device. Initial accounts described the deployment as unsuccessful. However, a later Human Rights Watch investigation of Operation Lone Star pursuit deaths reported that the stop device damaged Salazar’s vehicle before it continued out of control.
.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Camaro left the roadway, Salazar overcorrected, and the vehicle crossed the highway into the west ditch. It struck several trees, rolled multiple times and caught fire. Salazar and all three passengers were pronounced dead at the scene. The ruptured fuel tank reportedly complicated attempts to extinguish the fire.
.
The three passengers were Jose Luis Jimenez Mora, 41, Jose Molina Lara, 23, and Sergio Espinoza Flores, 36, all Mexican nationals from Zacatecas. Authorities subsequently said they were undocumented immigrants and opened a separate investigation into whether Salazar had been transporting them as part of a human-smuggling operation. Homeland Security Investigations assisted in that investigation. The suspected smuggling was identified after the fatal crash; available reporting did not establish that Crystal City police knew this when the officer initiated the traffic stop, and authorities did not identify it as the original reason for attempting to stop Salazar.
.
The broader context of this pursuit became substantially clearer after the initial reporting. Zavala County had joined Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star approximately two months before Salazar and his passengers were killed. Human Rights Watch later examined this crash as part of its investigation of deaths associated with aggressive vehicle pursuits under Operation Lone Star and characterized the four deaths as part of a broader pattern of preventable pursuit fatalities involving young drivers and migrants in Texas border counties.
.
Salazar’s family and friends publicly mourned him and established a memorial fundraiser. His sister Danna Salazar wrote that she would give anything to have her younger brother back and described the family’s profound loss. The later Human Rights Watch investigation strongly challenged the broader law-enforcement pursuit practices that produced deaths such as these, but available reporting does not document the Salazar family itself publicly alleging that police caused the crash or filing an encounter-related wrongful-death or civil-rights lawsuit.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND
The Crystal City police officer who initiated and continued the pursuit has not been publicly identified in the records and reporting located for this update. The Zavala County deputy who attempted to deploy the tire-deflation device also has not been publicly identified.
.
The departmental context is significant because the pursuit occurred shortly after Zavala County joined Operation Lone Star. Human Rights Watch subsequently documented a broader pattern of dangerous and deadly law-enforcement vehicle pursuits connected with the border-enforcement program and specifically included the Salazar crash in its investigation. The organization concluded that Operation Lone Star pursuit practices endangered both migrants and Texas residents and documented cases in which stops for minor or poorly articulated reasons escalated into high-speed pursuits and fatal crashes.
.
Crystal City Police Department also has a documented history of serious misconduct predating this pursuit. Former Crystal City police officer Jimmy Aguilar was convicted by a federal jury on civil-rights charges after repeatedly assaulting a handcuffed man, including choking him, forcing a handgun barrel into his mouth and threatening to kill him, then providing a false statement to the FBI and encouraging other officers to give false accounts. The prosecution was brought by the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
.
Serious problems have continued at the department since Salazar’s death. In 2025, Crystal City police officer Abel Hernandez resigned in lieu of termination and was arrested during an investigation in which authorities alleged he made inappropriate comments to children he encountered while on duty and improperly disclosed sensitive law-enforcement information, including warning a wanted person about an active arrest warrant. In 2026, a parent filed a police report against two Crystal City officers after teenagers alleged that officers pointed firearms at them and aggressively detained children during execution of an arrest warrant; the department disputed portions of the teenagers’ account.
.
The most consequential unresolved issue in Salazar’s individual case remains much simpler: despite four deaths, contemporary authorities never publicly explained why the Crystal City officer initiated the traffic stop that escalated into the pursuit.

https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2021/09/30/texas-tiktok-star-gabriel-salazar-killed-in-fiery-police-pursuit-crash-in-zavala-county/
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10042021/TikTok-star-Gabriel-Salazar-19-three-passengers-die-fiery-crash-high-speed-chase.html
https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/TikTok-Gabenotbabe-Gabriel-Salazar-fiery-car-crash-16493178.php
https://www.insideedition.com/tiktok-star-gabriel-salazar-aka-gabenotbabe-dies-in-car-crash-following-police-chase-in-texas-cops
https://www.univision.com/local/san-antonio-kwex/muere-texas-tiktok-star-gabriel-salazar-accidente
https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/11/27/so-much-blood-ground/dangerous-and-deadly-vehicle-pursuits-under-texas-operation
https://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2004/September/04_crt_601.htm
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2025/03/28/crystal-city-police-officer-resigns-arrested-amid-child-exploitation-investigation-authorities-say/
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2026/04/18/report-filed-against-crystal-city-police-officers-for-being-so-aggressive-woman-says/

On 09/26/2021, 19-year-old Gabriel Salazar and his three passengers were killed in a fiery crash during a Crystal City Police Department pursuit on U.S. Highway 83 in Zavala County. Salazar, a San Antonio resident known online as “Gabenotbabe,” was driving a white 2014 Chevrolet Camaro north toward La Pryor.
.
The pursuit began at approximately 1:20 a.m. when a Zavala County sheriff’s deputy heard a Crystal City police officer initiate a traffic stop on U.S. 83 at FM 3292. The Crystal City officer soon radioed that the Camaro was continuing north and that the officer was pursuing it. Contemporary authorities and news reports did not disclose the specific traffic violation or other reason Crystal City police initially attempted to stop Salazar. That initiating reason remains an important unresolved part of the encounter.
.
A Zavala County sheriff’s deputy joined the police effort and attempted to deploy a tire-deflation device. Initial accounts described the deployment as unsuccessful. However, a later Human Rights Watch investigation of Operation Lone Star pursuit deaths reported that the stop device damaged Salazar’s vehicle before it continued out of control.
.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Camaro left the roadway, Salazar overcorrected, and the vehicle crossed the highway into the west ditch. It struck several trees, rolled multiple times and caught fire. Salazar and all three passengers were pronounced dead at the scene. The ruptured fuel tank reportedly complicated attempts to extinguish the fire.
.
The three passengers were Jose Luis Jimenez Mora, 41, Jose Molina Lara, 23, and Sergio Espinoza Flores, 36, all Mexican nationals from Zacatecas. Authorities subsequently said they were undocumented immigrants and opened a separate investigation into whether Salazar had been transporting them as part of a human-smuggling operation. Homeland Security Investigations assisted in that investigation. The suspected smuggling was identified after the fatal crash; available reporting did not establish that Crystal City police knew this when the officer initiated the traffic stop, and authorities did not identify it as the original reason for attempting to stop Salazar.
.
The broader context of this pursuit became substantially clearer after the initial reporting. Zavala County had joined Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star approximately two months before Salazar and his passengers were killed. Human Rights Watch later examined this crash as part of its investigation of deaths associated with aggressive vehicle pursuits under Operation Lone Star and characterized the four deaths as part of a broader pattern of preventable pursuit fatalities involving young drivers and migrants in Texas border counties.
.
Salazar’s family and friends publicly mourned him and established a memorial fundraiser. His sister Danna Salazar wrote that she would give anything to have her younger brother back and described the family’s profound loss. The later Human Rights Watch investigation strongly challenged the broader law-enforcement pursuit practices that produced deaths such as these, but available reporting does not document the Salazar family itself publicly alleging that police caused the crash or filing an encounter-related wrongful-death or civil-rights lawsuit.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND
The Crystal City police officer who initiated and continued the pursuit has not been publicly identified in the records and reporting located for this update. The Zavala County deputy who attempted to deploy the tire-deflation device also has not been publicly identified.
.
The departmental context is significant because the pursuit occurred shortly after Zavala County joined Operation Lone Star. Human Rights Watch subsequently documented a broader pattern of dangerous and deadly law-enforcement vehicle pursuits connected with the border-enforcement program and specifically included the Salazar crash in its investigation. The organization concluded that Operation Lone Star pursuit practices endangered both migrants and Texas residents and documented cases in which stops for minor or poorly articulated reasons escalated into high-speed pursuits and fatal crashes.
.
Crystal City Police Department also has a documented history of serious misconduct predating this pursuit. Former Crystal City police officer Jimmy Aguilar was convicted by a federal jury on civil-rights charges after repeatedly assaulting a handcuffed man, including choking him, forcing a handgun barrel into his mouth and threatening to kill him, then providing a false statement to the FBI and encouraging other officers to give false accounts. The prosecution was brought by the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
.
Serious problems have continued at the department since Salazar’s death. In 2025, Crystal City police officer Abel Hernandez resigned in lieu of termination and was arrested during an investigation in which authorities alleged he made inappropriate comments to children he encountered while on duty and improperly disclosed sensitive law-enforcement information, including warning a wanted person about an active arrest warrant. In 2026, a parent filed a police report against two Crystal City officers after teenagers alleged that officers pointed firearms at them and aggressively detained children during execution of an arrest warrant; the department disputed portions of the teenagers’ account.
.
The most consequential unresolved issue in Salazar’s individual case remains much simpler: despite four deaths, contemporary authorities never publicly explained why the Crystal City officer initiated the traffic stop that escalated into the pursuit.

https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2021/09/30/texas-tiktok-star-gabriel-salazar-killed-in-fiery-police-pursuit-crash-in-zavala-county/
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10042021/TikTok-star-Gabriel-Salazar-19-three-passengers-die-fiery-crash-high-speed-chase.html
https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/TikTok-Gabenotbabe-Gabriel-Salazar-fiery-car-crash-16493178.php
https://www.insideedition.com/tiktok-star-gabriel-salazar-aka-gabenotbabe-dies-in-car-crash-following-police-chase-in-texas-cops
https://www.univision.com/local/san-antonio-kwex/muere-texas-tiktok-star-gabriel-salazar-accidente
https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/11/27/so-much-blood-ground/dangerous-and-deadly-vehicle-pursuits-under-texas-operation
https://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2004/September/04_crt_601.htm
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2025/03/28/crystal-city-police-officer-resigns-arrested-amid-child-exploitation-investigation-authorities-say/
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2026/04/18/report-filed-against-crystal-city-police-officers-for-being-so-aggressive-woman-says/

.
REASON FOR POLICE CHASE:
Hill County deputies were attempting to apprehend Randall Anthony Thurman, 34, in connection with the alleged abduction of two children from Walnut Springs. An AMBER Alert had been issued for an 8-year-old girl who authorities said remained in Thurman’s vehicle when deputies located it.
.
EVENT NARRATIVE:
On 09/25/2021, 85-year-old Maureena Charles Reid of Burleson was killed when a vehicle being pursued by Hill County deputies crossed into oncoming traffic on State Highway 171 in Johnson County and struck her Kia head-on. Reid was not involved in the events that prompted the pursuit and was driving in the opposite direction when the pursued vehicle entered her lane.
.
The events leading to the pursuit began the previous night in Walnut Springs, where the Bosque County Sheriff’s Office received a report at approximately 10:45 p.m. that two children, a 7-year-old boy and his 8-year-old sister, were missing. Their mother told deputies she believed the children were with a relative, Randall Anthony Thurman. Authorities subsequently determined that Thurman was a registered sex offender and alerted surrounding law-enforcement agencies.
.
At approximately 1:40 a.m., the boy reached a convenience store along Interstate 35 in Hill County and sought help. Authorities reported that clear packing tape had been wrapped around his throat and arms. The boy told deputies that Thurman had removed him from the vehicle, bound him with tape and driven away with his sister still in the car. The boy was transported for medical treatment, and authorities issued an AMBER Alert for the girl.
.
At approximately 9:15 a.m., Hill County resident Tracy Martin spotted the silver Chrysler 200 identified in the AMBER Alert among trees on his property. Martin said he saw the girl inside the car and Thurman crouching nearby. According to Martin, Thurman got into the Chrysler and attempted to strike Martin with it. Martin followed the vehicle while communicating with the sheriff’s office, pursuing it for approximately five miles and helping deputies locate it.
.
Hill County deputies subsequently located the Chrysler and attempted a traffic stop. Police said Thurman continued driving away and deputies pursued northbound on State Highway 171 toward Cleburne. Bosque County deputies were also involved in the multi-agency search. Public accounts do not provide an exact maximum pursuit speed, pursuit duration, total police-pursuit distance, or identify the individual deputies driving the pursuing vehicles. No use of stop sticks, a PIT/TVI maneuver, roadblock, or police-vehicle contact with the Chrysler was reported.
.
After the pursuit entered Johnson County, deputies reported that the Chrysler was traveling at high speed when it crossed the center line and continued toward Reid’s oncoming Kia. The Bosque County Sheriff’s Office said deputies believed the movement into opposing traffic was intentional. That conclusion was the law-enforcement account of Thurman’s actions; the publicly available reports do not identify independent crash-reconstruction evidence establishing his intent.
.
The Chrysler struck Reid’s Kia head-on near the intersection of State Highway 171 and Johnson County Road 302. Reid and Thurman were both killed. The 8-year-old girl was found conscious in the front passenger seat of the Chrysler and communicated with officers at the scene. Emergency crews extricated her from the wreckage and CareFlight transported her to a hospital. She survived and was later released from the hospital.
.
The Texas Department of Public Safety subsequently publicly identified Reid as the 85-year-old Burleson woman killed in the collision. Available reporting about her death concentrates almost entirely on the abduction and pursuit and provides little biographical information about Reid herself beyond her name, age and community.
.
The fatal collision ended the pursuit and the search for the abducted girl. The individual Hill County deputies involved in the pursuit were not publicly identified in the sources located for this reconstruction.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Hill County deputies who initiated and participated in the pursuit have not been publicly identified.

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article254520872.html
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2021/09/25/two-children-safe-suspect-dead-following-abduction-in-central-texas-sheriff-says/
https://www.kwtx.com/2021/09/28/mother-central-texas-children-abducted-by-registered-sex-offender-charged/
https://www.fox4news.com/news/amber-alert-suspect-among-2-killed-in-johnson-county-crash-missing-girl-flown-to-hospital
https://www.kwtx.com/2021/11/09/bosque-county-girl-involved-amber-alert-out-hospital/

.
REASON FOR POLICE CHASE:
Traffic violation. Wichita police said an officer attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation before the driver continued driving away and police pursued.
.
EVENT NARRATIVE:
On 09/25/2021, a woman was killed in Wichita after a Wichita Police Department pursuit ended in a collision near I-135 and East Harry Street.
.
According to the initial police account, an officer attempted to stop the pursued vehicle for a traffic violation. The driver continued driving away while police pursued. The available contemporary reports do not specify the underlying traffic violation, leaving unresolved whether the attempted stop began over speeding, another moving violation, an equipment violation, or another traffic offense.
.
The pursuit continued through southeast Wichita before the pursued vehicle crashed near I-135 and East Harry Street, striking another vehicle. The woman in the uninvolved vehicle was killed in the collision.
.
The available reporting does not provide a documented maximum pursuit speed, total pursuit distance, or a complete second-by-second pursuit timeline. It also does not report police using stop sticks, a PIT/TVI maneuver, a roadblock, or intentional police-vehicle contact before the fatal collision.
.
The pursuit occurred during a period of heightened scrutiny of Wichita Police Department vehicle pursuits. Earlier in 2021, several Wichita pursuits had ended in serious or fatal crashes. In July, WPD publicly explained that its pursuit policy required officers and supervisors to continually weigh the seriousness of the underlying offense against speed, traffic, road conditions and danger to the public. The department reported that approximately 90% of its pursuits were terminated by either the pursuing officer or a supervisor and that most lasted less than five minutes and covered only one or two miles.
.
WPD's pursuit policy also authorized supervisors to terminate pursuits when the danger created by continuing outweighed the need for immediate apprehension. The department had demonstrated that authority in other 2021 pursuits, including a July chase in southeast Wichita in which a supervisor terminated the pursuit when the pursued driver began entering opposing traffic.
.
The woman killed in the September 25 collision was an uninvolved motorist and had no role in the police encounter that initiated the chase. The contemporary sources supplied for this reconstruction identify her as a woman but the accessible indexed material does not establish her name with sufficient reliability to replace “Name Not Disclosed.” No biographical information can therefore be safely attributed to her without risking identification of the wrong person.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Wichita officer who initiated the pursuit and the other officers who participated have not been publicly identified in the accessible contemporary reporting.
.

https://www.kansas.com/news/local/crime/article254521640.html

https://www.kwch.com/2021/07/23/wpd-explains-pursuit-policy-after-recent-deadly-crashes-chases/

.
REASON FOR POLICE CHASE:
Vehicle reported stolen and suspected involvement in an attempted burglary. Authorities said the vehicle had been reported stolen from Hideout at approximately 9:00 a.m. and was later linked to an attempted burglary in Midway. Wasatch County deputies located it at approximately 10:20 a.m. and attempted a traffic stop.
.
EVENT NARRATIVE:
On 09/22/2021, 19-year-old Daisha Vood Reynolds of Salt Lake City was killed while riding as a passenger in a vehicle pursued by law enforcement from Wasatch County into Summit County. Reynolds was not identified by authorities as the driver of the vehicle or as the person controlling whether the pursuit continued.
.
The vehicle had been reported stolen at approximately 9:00 a.m. in Hideout. About an hour later, Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office deputies received a report of a similar vehicle connected to an attempted burglary in Midway. Deputies located the vehicle at approximately 10:20 a.m. and attempted to stop it.
.
Police said the driver continued driving away while Wasatch County deputies pursued through Midway. Deputies twice lost sight of the vehicle during the pursuit and subsequently located it again on River Road. The pursuit then continued onto U.S. 40 toward Summit County.
.
According to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, pursuit speeds exceeded 95 mph and approached 100 mph on U.S. 40.
.
A Utah Highway Patrol trooper deployed tire spikes on U.S. 40 in an effort to stop the vehicle. Contemporary reporting did not establish whether the first spike deployment successfully deflated any tires.
.
Several miles farther north, near mile marker 2 on U.S. 40, a Summit County sheriff’s deputy attempted to deploy another tire-deflation device. Police said the driver swerved while approaching or passing the device, lost control of the vehicle and left the roadway.
.
The vehicle rolled several times. Reynolds and the 22-year-old driver, Charles Caster of Salt Lake City, were both ejected. Emergency personnel pronounced Reynolds dead at the scene. Caster suffered critical injuries and was flown by medical helicopter to a Salt Lake-area hospital.
.
Park City Fire District Battalion Chief Darren Nelson said neither Reynolds nor Caster appeared to have been wearing a seat belt. A 16-week-old dog riding in the vehicle was also seriously injured, suffering a broken pelvis and legs, and was taken into the care of Nuzzles & Co.
.
Reynolds was 19 and lived in Salt Lake City. Public reporting about her death focused overwhelmingly on the pursuit and provided little information about her life, family, work, education, or interests beyond her age and residence.
.
The Utah Attorney General’s Office investigated the fatal crash, assisted by the West Valley City Police Department, Park City Police Department and Utah Office of the Medical Examiner. The Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office, Summit County Sheriff’s Office and Utah Highway Patrol were among the agencies involved in the pursuit or attempts to stop the vehicle.
.
No PIT/TVI maneuver or intentional police-vehicle contact with the pursued vehicle was reported. The principal police intervention immediately preceding the crash was the Summit County deputy’s attempted deployment of the tire-deflation device.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Wasatch County deputies, Utah Highway Patrol trooper and Summit County deputy who participated in the pursuit and tire-deflation attempts have not been publicly identified in the available reporting.

https://www.sltrib.com/news/2021/09/22/crash-during-police/
https://www.parkrecord.com/2021/09/22/1-person-killed-in-crash-on-u-s-40-involving-law-enforcement-pursuit/
https://www.ksl.com/article/50247236/police-id-1-killed-1-injured-in-crash-after-summit-county-police-chase
https://www.kpcw.org/local-news/2021-09-22/updated-woman-dead-man-critically-injured-after-high-speed-chase-rollover
https://www.kpcw.org/local-news/2021-09-23/crash-victim-driver-in-high-speed-chase-identified
https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/us-40-closed-near-park-city-due-to-police-incident
https://www.parkrecord.com/2021/12/29/murder-charge-filed-against-driver-in-fatal-september-car-crash-on-u-s-40-near-park-city/
https://www.kpcw.org/local-news/2021-12-29/driver-in-fatal-september-crash-faces-murder-charge
https://www.ksl.com/article/50319659/utah-man-accused-of-crashing-while-fleeing-police-killing-passenger-is-charged-with-murder

On 09/22/2021, 48-year-old Troy Allen Engstrom of Shoreview died after Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Donald Rindal intentionally drove his squad SUV into Engstrom during a police response to a mental health crisis and reported domestic assault in Mounds View.
.
The encounter began at approximately 6:20 a.m., when Mounds View police responded to the AmericInn at 2200 Mounds View Boulevard after a hotel employee reported that Engstrom was threatening suicide and might have a gun. Engstrom’s girlfriend had reported that he was threatening to kill himself with her semiautomatic 9mm handgun. Police initially conducted surveillance of the room but left after determining Engstrom was alone and deciding they did not want to escalate the situation.
.
According to the subsequent BCA investigation, Engstrom’s girlfriend later returned to the hotel. She reported that Engstrom said he was going to shoot himself and die that day. She said Engstrom pointed the gun at her after she told him he would have to kill her as well. She left the room and subsequently heard a gunshot.
.
After Mounds View Deputy Chief Ben Zender learned that a gun had been fired inside the hotel room, he directed officers to arrest Engstrom. Officers returned at approximately 10:40 a.m., but Engstrom had left the hotel on foot.
.
Mounds View Officer Nick Erickson located Engstrom near County Road H2 and Jackson Drive. Erickson stopped his marked squad approximately a block away, activated its emergency lights and positioned himself behind the open driver’s door.
.
Police reported that Engstrom fired toward Erickson. Sgt. Rindal was approaching in a Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office SUV and reported seeing Engstrom with a gun and hearing shots. Dashcam video from Rindal’s squad, later publicly released, shows Engstrom on the sidewalk holding a handgun as Rindal approaches. Approximately 19 seconds into the recording, Rindal says, “Got a gun; shots fired,” and drives toward Engstrom. Engstrom appears to fire toward the police vehicles. The publicly released video ends immediately before Rindal’s SUV strikes him.
.
Rindal intentionally drove the SUV into Engstrom, pushing him through a wooden fence. Engstrom suffered severe blunt-force injuries. Officers provided medical aid, and he was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he died later that day.
.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner determined that Engstrom died from multiple blunt-force injuries caused by the pedestrian-motor vehicle collision and classified his death as homicide.
.
Investigators recovered a Taurus 9mm semiautomatic handgun and two cartridge cases. BCA firearms testing determined that both cartridge cases had been fired from the recovered handgun. A bullet recovered near Erickson’s squad was also matched to that firearm. Investigators documented bullet-impact evidence on both Erickson’s Mounds View police SUV and the Ramsey County SUV. DNA testing of blood recovered behind the fence matched Engstrom.
.
Engstrom was a Shoreview resident and the son of Darwin “Butch” and Judy Engstrom. His father’s later obituary identified Troy as his son and showed that he was part of a family that included his sister Lori and extended family.
.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigated Rindal’s use of deadly force and submitted its investigative file to the Dakota County Attorney’s Office on 01/25/2022 because the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office requested an outside review.
.
On 03/09/2022, Dakota County Attorney Kathryn Keena announced that Rindal would not be criminally charged. Keena concluded that Rindal’s intentional use of the SUV as deadly force was legally justified because the evidence supported his belief that Engstrom presented an imminent deadly threat to Rindal, Erickson and members of the public.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Sgt. Donald Rindal was publicly identified as the Ramsey County deputy who intentionally struck Engstrom with his squad SUV. Rindal had worked for the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office since 1999.
.
Rindal previously appeared in federal litigation involving former Ramsey County Sgt. Joyce Shockency’s allegations of political retaliation within the Sheriff’s Office. Court records state that Rindal, a supporter of Sheriff Bob Fletcher, told fellow deputies that Shockency would be removed from her patrol-sergeant position following the election; Shockency was subsequently transferred. Rindal was not a defendant accused of using excessive force against Shockency, and the litigation does not establish that he was personally disciplined or found liable for misconduct.
.
The BCA investigated Rindal’s killing of Engstrom. The Dakota County Attorney’s Office subsequently determined that his use of deadly force was legally justified and filed no criminal charges.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2021/09/29/man-killed-by-police-vehicle-had-history-of-mental-illness
https://www.mncrime.com/latest/rcso-deputys-use-of-force-ruled-justified-in-mounds-view-suspects-death
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/man-fatally-struck-by-squad-car-in-mounds-view-ramsey-co-deputy-identified/89-6687befc-7bfa-41e5-9470-937910cb6570
https://www.startribune.com/ramsey-county-deputy-cleared-after-fatally-running-over-mounds-view-man-who-fired-at-squads/600154474
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/mn-deputy-who-fatally-rammed-man-who-shot-at-police-wont-be-charged
https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/prosecutors-deputy-justified-in-fatally-hitting-armed-man-in-mounds-view/
https://www.fox9.com/news/man-who-died-after-being-hit-by-squad-car-in-mounds-view-identified
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/mounds-view-suspect-deputy-identified/
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/man-deputy-involved-in-fatal-mounds-view-incident-are-identified
https://www.fox9.com/news/deputys-use-of-squad-to-strike-kill-armed-man-in-mounds-view-justified-couny-attorney-says
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/crime/prosecutor-finds-ramsey-co-deputy-justified-fatally-hitting-armed-man-with-squad-car-moundsview/89-aa59ff16-47eb-40e2-bf1e-72e5450c535c

.
REASON FOR POLICE CHASE:
Investigation of an unexplained 911 call. Dispatchers traced a 911 call to the area of Meadowbrook and Basin roads after hearing indistinct voices and engines revving but receiving no response from the caller. Deputy Zac Kindelan located a parked SUV in the area. Police said the vehicle drove away when Kindelan turned around to investigate, and Kindelan activated his emergency lights and siren and attempted to stop it.
.
EVENT NARRATIVE:
On 09/18/2021, 27-year-old James A. Black of Phippsburg was killed after crashing his 2007 GMC Envoy into a utility pole during a Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office pursuit in Phippsburg.
.
Shortly after 10:00 p.m., the Sagadahoc County Regional Communications Center received a 911 call originating near Meadowbrook and Basin roads. Dispatchers could hear indistinct voices and engines revving but could not get anyone on the line to answer their questions. Authorities later said the call originated from inside the vehicle Black was driving, although they did not establish who placed the call.
.
Deputy Zac Kindelan was sent to investigate and located Black’s GMC Envoy parked on Meadowbrook Road. When Kindelan turned his cruiser around to investigate, police said Black drove away. Kindelan activated his emergency lights and siren and attempted to stop the SUV. Black continued driving away while Kindelan pursued.
.
During the pursuit, Kindelan reported seeing numerous baggies being thrown from the SUV. Police said pursuit speeds exceeded 60 mph as the vehicles traveled toward Main Road. Investigators later recovered several of the discarded baggies, including at least one containing a white powder, and described the recovered material as illegal contraband.
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Deputy John Dietlin positioned a spike mat near the intersection of Basin Road and Devil’s Highway in an attempt to stop the SUV. Black drove over the device, puncturing and deflating at least one tire, but continued driving. He turned onto Stoneybrook Road and then traveled north on Main Road.
.
Shortly afterward, the GMC left the roadway and struck a utility pole near 610 Main Road. Black was alone in the SUV. Emergency personnel extricated him from the wreckage, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
.
No PIT/TVI maneuver or intentional contact between a police vehicle and Black’s SUV was reported. The spike mat deployed by Dietlin was the documented police intervention immediately preceding the final portion of the pursuit. Public reporting does not provide the precise distance between the spike deployment and crash, Black’s speed when he lost control, or whether the deflated tire contributed directly to the loss of control.
.
Black was a 27-year-old Phippsburg resident. Available contemporary reporting about his death provides little information about his family, occupation, education, interests, or how he was remembered outside the circumstances of the pursuit.
.
Maine State Police conducted the crash reconstruction. Contemporary reporting identified Kindelan as the deputy who initiated and continued the pursuit and Dietlin as the deputy who deployed the spike mat.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Deputy Zac Kindelan was identified as the Sagadahoc County deputy who initiated the pursuit after responding to the unexplained 911 call. Deputy John Dietlin deployed the spike mat that punctured at least one tire on Black’s vehicle.

https://www.centralmaine.com/2021/09/19/phippsburg-man-killed-in-crash-during-high-speed-police-chase/
https://www.pressherald.com/2021/09/19/phippsburg-man-killed-in-crash-during-high-speed-police-chase/
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/me/maine/news/2021/09/20/maine-man-dies-in-police-chase-after-crashing-into-pole
https://www.bangordailynews.com/2021/09/20/midcoast/maine-man-dies-in-police-chase-after-crashing-into-pole/
https://www.wmtw.com/article/suspect-of-high-speed-chase-dies-after-crashing-into-telephone-pole/37654231
https://www.wabi.tv/2021/09/19/suspect-high-speed-chase-dies-after-crashing-into-telephone-pole/
https://www.pressherald.com/2019/07/15/sagadahoc-county-sheriffs-deputy-arrested-charged-with-aggravated-assault-2/
https://www.centralmaine.com/2025/01/15/man-killed-in-crash-after-police-chase-in-woolwich/

On 09/17/2021, 35-year-old New Haven Police Officer Joshua Castellano was killed in Las Vegas when fellow New Haven Police Officer Robert Ferraro crashed a rented 2020 Rolls-Royce Cullinan while driving under the influence. The officers were off duty and vacationing in Las Vegas. Ferraro was later criminally convicted for causing Castellano's death.
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The crash occurred shortly before 4 a.m. at West Spring Mountain Road and South Decatur Boulevard. Ferraro was driving the Rolls-Royce with Castellano and four other passengers. Castellano was seated in the front passenger seat.
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Las Vegas Metropolitan Police investigators determined that Ferraro drove through the intersection at high speed, lost control and struck a Ford Mustang before the Rolls-Royce continued off the roadway, striking palm trees, a light pole, curb and fire hydrant and overturning.
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No one inside the Rolls-Royce was wearing a seat belt. Castellano was ejected as the SUV overturned. He was transported to University Medical Center, where he died from his injuries. Other people in the Rolls-Royce suffered injuries.
.
Police observed signs that Ferraro was impaired. He refused to perform field sobriety tests. Investigators subsequently obtained a search warrant and had Ferraro's blood drawn at the Clark County Detention Center.
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Ferraro was arrested and initially charged with DUI resulting in death and reckless driving. New Haven Police placed him on administrative leave while the Nevada criminal case proceeded.
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The criminal case ultimately established that Castellano's death was caused by Ferraro's impaired driving. On 06/20/2023, Ferraro pleaded guilty in Clark County District Court to DUI resulting in death.
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The consequences within the New Haven Police Department were considerably delayed. Ferraro remained employed while the Nevada criminal prosecution was pending. New Haven eventually initiated termination proceedings, but Ferraro resigned in 2023 before the department could fire him. Police Chief Karl Jacobson subsequently said the department was also pursuing Ferraro's decertification as a police officer.
.
On 01/09/2024, Clark County District Court Judge Susan Johnson sentenced Ferraro to two to five years in Nevada state prison for DUI resulting in death.
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This case is unusual within the database because Castellano was himself a police officer and his death did not occur during an enforcement encounter. However, it was an unnatural death directly caused by the criminal conduct of another police officer. Ferraro was an active New Haven officer at the time of the crash and was subsequently convicted of causing Castellano's death.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND
Robert Ferraro was the New Haven Police officer driving the Rolls-Royce that killed Castellano. This is not a case in which later reporting merely alleged misconduct by an unidentified officer: Ferraro ultimately pleaded guilty to DUI resulting in death and received a two-to-five-year prison sentence.
.
New Haven Police placed Ferraro on administrative leave after his arrest. The department later began proceedings to terminate him, but Ferraro resigned before his firing could be completed. Chief Karl Jacobson said in November 2023 that the department was moving to have Ferraro decertified.
.
The broader New Haven Police Department subsequently faced an unrelated but major civil-rights scandal involving Richard “Randy” Cox. In June 2022, Cox was left paralyzed from the chest down after being thrown headfirst into the partition of a police transport van that lacked seat belts. Cox repeatedly told officers he could not move, but officers were accused of failing to provide appropriate assistance and mishandling him after arrival at the police station.
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Five New Haven officers were criminally charged in connection with their treatment of Cox. Four were fired following the department's internal investigation, while another retired during the investigation. New Haven ultimately agreed to a $45 million civil settlement with Cox in 2023, one of the largest police-misconduct settlements in the country at the time.
.
The Cox incident occurred after Castellano's death and was wholly unrelated to the Las Vegas crash, but it became a significant later accountability crisis within the same department and resulted in disciplinary action, criminal cases, policy reforms and an extraordinarily large civil settlement.

https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/new-haven-police-officer-arrested-in-las-vegas-after-crash-that-killed-another-officer/2593322/
https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-new-haven-officer-crash-death-20210920-wslld3jifvfi5lbptalut2hmiq-story.html
https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/New-Haven-police-officer-Joshua-Castellano-killed-16472437.php
https://www.wfsb.com/2021/09/20/community-mourns-new-haven-police-officer-killed-las-vegas-crash/
https://www.fox61.com/article/news/local/new-haven-officer-killed-las-vegas-crash-police-charges/520-0041876b-d8d0-4e8d-8603-fc7fd53a6a6e
https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/courts/connecticut-officer-pleads-guilty-to-dui-charge-in-fatal-2021-crash-2797851/
https://www.fox5vegas.com/2024/01/10/connecticut-police-officer-serve-at-least-2-years-deadly-las-vegas-dui-crash/
https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/new-haven-cop-las-vegas-fatal-crash-quit-18492006.php
https://www.newhavenct.gov/Home/Components/News/News/120/334

.
REASON FOR POLICE CHASE:
Reported hit-and-run crash. Shortly after 10:00 p.m., Gloucester Township police received a report of a hit-and-run collision. Two Gloucester Township officers subsequently located the vehicle police believed was involved and attempted to stop its driver.
.
EVENT NARRATIVE:
On 09/12/2021, an unidentified male driver died following a Gloucester Township Police Department pursuit that began in Gloucester Township and ended before a four-vehicle crash on Sicklerville Road in Winslow Township.
.
Shortly after 10:00 p.m., police received a report of a hit-and-run crash in Gloucester Township. Two Gloucester Township officers subsequently located the vehicle police believed was involved. The officers began pursuing the driver after attempting to stop him. The New Jersey Attorney General's Office did not publicly describe the circumstances of the original collision beyond identifying it as a reported hit-and-run.
.
The two officers pursued the vehicle but terminated the chase before the fatal collision. Available public accounts do not give the pursuit's duration, distance or speeds, identify the location where officers terminated it, or state how much time or distance separated the termination from the subsequent crash. No PIT/TVI maneuver, stop sticks, roadblock or police-vehicle contact was publicly reported.
.
Soon after police terminated the pursuit, at approximately 10:15 p.m., the driver was traveling southeast on Sicklerville Road in Winslow Township when his vehicle collided with three vehicles traveling in the opposite direction. The sequence resulted in a four-vehicle crash.
.
Winslow Township police responded and provided first aid to several injured people until emergency medical personnel arrived. The pursued driver was transported to Jefferson Washington Township Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:57 p.m.
.
Three other drivers were injured. One was transported to Cooper University Hospital in critical but stable condition. Two male drivers were transported to Jefferson Washington Township Hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
.
The New Jersey Attorney General's Office investigated the death under the state's requirement for independent investigation of deaths occurring during encounters with law-enforcement officers. The investigation was subsequently closed without presentation to a grand jury.
.
Despite the passage of nearly five years, the driver's identity does not appear to have been publicly released in the official or later reporting located for this reconstruction. Because his identity remains unconfirmed, biographical information about his life, family, occupation or interests cannot reliably be attributed to him.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The two Gloucester Township police officers who initiated the pursuit have not been publicly identified.

https://www.njoag.gov/ags-office-investigating-death-of-driver-in-multi-vehicle-crash-in-winslow-township-that-occurred-shortly-after-police-attempted-to-stop-his-vehicle/
https://nj1015.com/after-fleeing-cops-in-nj-hit-and-run-driver-ends-up-dying-in-another-crash/
https://www.insidernj.com/press-release/ags-office-investigating-death-driver-multi-vehicle-crash-winslow-township-occurred-shortly-police-attempted-stop-vehicle/

.
REASON FOR POLICE CHASE:
Reckless driving. At approximately 3:30 a.m., a Lawton Police Department officer attempted to stop a black 2021 Chevrolet Camaro after police said the driver was driving recklessly. Harris continued driving away and the officer pursued.
.
EVENT NARRATIVE:
On 09/11/2021, 21-year-old D’Monte L. Harris of Kathleen, Georgia, was killed when the Chevrolet Camaro he was driving crashed during a Lawton Police Department pursuit in Lawton.
.
At approximately 3:30 a.m., a Lawton police officer attempted to stop Harris for alleged reckless driving. Harris continued driving away and the officer pursued. Lawton police characterized the chase as a short pursuit.
.
Harris drove south on Sheridan Road at what the Oklahoma Highway Patrol described as a high rate of speed. Publicly available reports do not provide a measured maximum speed, the total pursuit distance, or identify the officer driving the pursuing police vehicle. No PIT/TVI maneuver, stop sticks, roadblock, or intentional contact between the police vehicle and Harris's Camaro was reported.
.
At approximately 3:35 a.m., Harris lost control of the Camaro while traveling south on Sheridan Road. The car left the roadway, struck a curb and a mailbox, continued south across Jefferson Avenue and struck an embankment.
.
The Camaro then overturned and struck a fence, an unoccupied van and a trailer. The vehicle rolled an undetermined number of times before coming to rest upside down. Harris was pronounced dead at the scene.
.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the fatal crash.
.
OHP publicly identified Harris three days later as D’Monte L. Harris, 21, of Kathleen, Georgia. Public reporting about his death provides little additional information about his family, work, education, or life in Georgia.
.
Lawton police subsequently released dash-camera video of the pursuit in November 2021. The approximately one-minute recording shows Harris's Camaro traveling south on Sheridan Road with the police vehicle following. The Camaro eventually disappears from the dash camera's view, while the impact from the crash can be seen in the distance. The video therefore provides evidence that the pursuing police vehicle was behind Harris rather than physically contacting his Camaro when it crashed.
.
The Lawton officer who initiated and participated in the pursuit has not been publicly identified.
.
OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Lawton Police Department officer who initiated and participated in the pursuit has not been publicly identified.

https://kfor.com/news/local/man-killed-in-crash-after-running-from-oklahoma-police/
https://www.koco.com/article/man-dies-after-pursuit-with-lawton-police-officer-ends-in-single-vehicle-crash-ohp-says/37558467
https://www.kswo.com/2021/09/11/one-killed-saturday-morning-crash-lawton/
https://www.kswo.com/2021/09/14/ohp-identifies-man-killed-lawton-crash/
https://www.kswo.com/2021/11/04/lawton-police-release-video-deadly-september-chase-crash/

.
REASON FOR POLICE CHASE:
Traffic violation. NYPD officers attempted to stop Tyrik Mott after police observed him run a red light. Mott continued driving away and officers pursued.
.
EVENT NARRATIVE:
On 09/11/2021, 3-month-old Apolline Mong-Guillemin was killed during an NYPD pursuit in Brooklyn. Police said Tyrik Mott drove at high speed the wrong way on Gates Avenue while fleeing officers, struck another vehicle at Vanderbilt Avenue, and caused that vehicle to strike Apolline and her parents, Julien Mong and Marion Guillemin. Apolline was killed and her mother suffered severe injuries requiring multiple surgeries.
.
Mott had an extensive documented history of dangerous driving before the fatal pursuit. His vehicle had accumulated 106 camera-issued speeding and red-light violations since 2017, and he had previously driven with a suspended license.
.
In July 2022, Apolline's parents filed a civil lawsuit against Mott, the City of New York, NYPD, New York City Department of Transportation and other defendants. The family directly challenged NYPD's decision to pursue Mott.
.
The lawsuit alleged that unidentified NYPD officers acted with wanton disregard by pursuing Mott after the red-light violation, continued the pursuit when circumstances warranted terminating it, and failed to comply with NYPD pursuit policy. The family alleged that the danger created for pedestrians and other motorists outweighed the need to apprehend Mott immediately.
.
The lawsuit separately alleged that New York City had prior notice that the intersection of Vanderbilt and Gates avenues presented a dangerous condition and failed to make it reasonably safe. It also alleged that the city failed to effectively implement its Dangerous Vehicle Abatement program despite Mott's extensive record of camera violations.
.
Apolline's mother continued receiving medical treatment for the injuries she suffered in the crash. The family's attorney described her injuries as severe and said they had required multiple surgical procedures.
.
Mott was criminally charged with manslaughter and other offenses arising from the fatal crash.

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/brooklyn-police-pursuit-leads-to-fatal-crash-kills-3-month-old/3465932/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/12/nyregion/brooklyn-pursuit-accident-kills-baby.html
https://brooklynda.org/2021/10/14/driver-charged-with-assault-and-reckless-manslaughter-for-allegedly-striking-3-month-old-baby-and-her-mother-while-driving-the-wrong-way/
https://www.brooklynda.org/2023/06/14/wrong-way-driver-sentenced-to-9-years-in-prison-for-striking-and-killing-three-month-old-baby-seriously-injuring-her-mother/
https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2022/07/20/city-sued-over-killing-of-baby-apolline-by-recidivist-reckless-driver-on-a-dangerous-street/
https://www.timesunion.com/projects/2024/police-pursuits/
https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2022_osi_annual_report.pdf

On 09/10/2021, 12-year-old Le’Den Boykins was killed when Georgia State Patrol Trooper David Peterson performed a PIT maneuver at approximately 87 mph on the Kia in which Le’Den was a backseat passenger. The vehicle left Georgia Highway 92, traveled down an embankment and rolled into a ditch. Le’Den was partially ejected and killed. Another child, the driver’s 14-year-old son, was also in the vehicle. A later AJC investigation identified Peterson by name and reconstructed the pursuit from GSP internal-affairs records, pursuit critiques, dispatch recordings and dashcam video.
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The encounter began at approximately 1 a.m. when Peterson stopped the Kia after observing it speeding on Bethel Church Road. Peterson subsequently reported smelling alcohol and observing that the driver had bloodshot eyes. Le’Den was not the driver and was not suspected of any offense.
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The traffic stop became confrontational after the driver did not fully lower his window and asked for a supervisor. Peterson called for backup, and three Paulding County deputies arrived. One deputy, identified by the Boykins family from police records as Unk Myers, broke the driver’s window while officers attempted to remove the driver from the Kia. The driver then drove away, and Peterson and the deputies pursued.
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The pursuit proceeded through residential areas and onto larger roads, at times exceeding 95 mph. The driver called 911 during the pursuit. Dispatch recordings established that Paulding County personnel learned children were inside the fleeing Kia.
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Paulding deputies began coordinating a plan to box the Kia in and force it to slow. Peterson, however, was operating on a different radio frequency and was not communicating directly with the deputies. A Paulding dispatcher contacted the GSP dispatcher by telephone specifically to determine whether Peterson knew children were in the vehicle. The GSP dispatcher said Peterson did not.
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As dispatchers attempted to relay that information, the pursuit entered a construction zone and speeds exceeded 100 mph. Before the information about the children reached Peterson, he performed the PIT maneuver. Later investigation determined the PIT occurred at approximately 87 mph. The Kia went down an embankment and overturned, ejecting Le’Den. Immediately afterward, Peterson radioed, “PIT successful.”
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Peterson later maintained that he had not known children were inside. He told investigators that during the initial stop he could not clearly identify the front-seat passenger and could not see anyone in the back because of the Kia’s window tint. His internal-affairs account stated that his attention had remained focused on the driver.
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Le’Den’s family disputed that account. Their attorney, Lee Merritt, said officers had stood immediately beside the Kia, shined lights inside and had ample opportunity to observe both children before the pursuit. The family also pointed to the 911 and dispatch communications establishing that law enforcement knew children were present while the pursuit was underway.
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GSP conducted an internal investigation and pursuit critique. Peterson’s supervisor determined that his conduct was largely within GSP policy. Peterson received coaching for approaching a vehicle when he could not see its rear seat, failing to fully communicate his actions during the pursuit and inaccurately identifying an observed traffic violation, rather than a suspicious driver, as the reason for the initial stop. He was not disciplined for performing the fatal PIT.
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The driver was criminally prosecuted for Le’Den’s death. In May 2023, he pleaded guilty to first-degree vehicular homicide and aggravated assault on an officer and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He apologized to Le’Den’s parents during sentencing. Murder charges originally brought against him were resolved through the plea.
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Le’Den’s parents, Toni Franklin and Anthony Boykins, continued seeking accountability from the officers and argued that the pursuit should have been de-escalated rather than terminated with a high-speed PIT. They called for criminal charges against Peterson and the Paulding County officers and sought appointment of a special prosecutor.
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Franklin and Boykins subsequently filed a federal lawsuit against Peterson and the Georgia Department of Public Safety arising from Le’Den’s death. By December 2024, state attorneys were seeking dismissal while the family continued challenging Peterson’s decision to perform the PIT.
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A major 2024 Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation of GSP pursuits obtained and analyzed thousands of agency pursuit critiques and internal-affairs records. It found that GSP performed more than 2,000 PIT maneuvers from 2019 through 2023 and linked PITs to 19 deaths during that period; nine of those killed were passengers. Most GSP pursuits involving PITs began over traffic infractions.
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The AJC found that GSP policy imposed no maximum speed for PIT maneuvers, did not prohibit PITs when children or other passengers were present, did not require supervisors to participate in the critical PIT decision and permitted pursuits even when a driver could potentially be identified and arrested later. The investigation found GSP performed PITs at speeds exceeding 100 mph.
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The same investigation found that GSP’s internal review process rarely found fault with troopers’ decisions to perform PIT maneuvers, including fatal PITs. Half of GSP pursuits analyzed ended in crashes, and GSP terminated only 17% of pursuits during the five-year period reviewed.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND
David Peterson was the Georgia State Patrol trooper who performed the PIT maneuver that killed Le’Den Boykins. GSP records show Peterson graduated from the 108th Trooper School in May 2020 and was assigned to Post 29 in Paulding County, making him a relatively new trooper when Le’Den was killed in September 2021.
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Le’Den’s fatal pursuit was only Peterson’s second pursuit as a state trooper. Despite the death of a 12-year-old passenger during an approximately 87-mph PIT, GSP’s pursuit critique concluded that Peterson had demonstrated good driving and decision-making. He received coaching for three other issues but was not disciplined for the PIT itself.
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Peterson’s internal account stated that he had not recognized either passenger as a child and had not seen Le’Den in the back seat. Dispatch records independently establish that Paulding County personnel knew children were in the Kia and were attempting to transmit that information to GSP, but Peterson’s radio was on a different frequency and the warning did not reach him before he performed the PIT.
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Unk Myers was identified by Le’Den’s family from Paulding County records as the officer who broke the Kia’s window immediately before the driver left the traffic stop. Three Paulding County deputies participated in the encounter and subsequent pursuit.
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The later AJC investigation found GSP to be an outlier among state patrol agencies in its permissive PIT policy. Of 44 state-police pursuit policies examined, 21 imposed high-speed restrictions and/or required supervisory involvement that GSP did not require. Ten prohibited pursuits for traffic infractions, while GSP allowed both pursuits and PIT maneuvers arising from traffic offenses.
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GSP’s PIT practices continued producing fatalities after Le’Den’s death. The AJC documented 19 deaths associated with GSP PIT maneuvers over the five-year period from 2019 through 2023, including nine passengers, and found that troopers rarely received discipline after fatal PITs.
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In 2026, a separate Georgia Department of Public Safety internal investigation exposed additional misconduct involving GSP PITs. Troopers Hunter Waters, Tyler Byrd and Isaiah Francois were fired after investigators found they sought personal-injury insurance settlements following pursuits in which they intentionally struck vehicles as part of PIT or other pursuit-termination maneuvers. Supervisor Joseph Curlee was also fired after investigators found he knew of the practice, failed to report it and attempted to participate himself. Those troopers were not involved in Le’Den’s death.

https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2024/04/01/advocates-speak-out-after-recent-deadly-police-pursuits-in-metro-atlanta/
https://atlantablackstar.com/2023/01/16/there-are-kids-in-the-car-family-of-12-year-old-killed-during-high-speed-chase-wants-officers-held-accountable-for-violating-pit-maneuver-policy/
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/leden-boykins-gsp-pit-maneuver-chase-crash-paulding-county
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/charlie-moore-bond-hearing-georgia-state-patrol-pit-maneuver-ledan-boykins-death
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/leden-boykins-clayton-county-trooper-crash
https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/man-gets-15-years-for-fleeing-troopers-in-paulding-12-year-old-killed-in-crash/6OFRBGM7AFDZZGYX2XSECQJEGM/
https://www.ajc.com/news/investigations/chases-unchecked-gsp-high-speed-pits-lead-to-death-across-georgia/IGGP2EMTCVAUFNORUBVKF5SWQE/
https://dps.georgia.gov/press-releases/2020-05-14/georgia-state-patrol-graduates-its-108th-trooper-school
https://www.wtoc.com/2026/04/17/pit-pay-georgia-troopers-financially-profited-pursuits-they-initiated-investigation-finds/
https://www.wtoc.com/2026/05/25/four-georgia-state-patrol-troopers-fired-filing-injury-claims-after-pit-maneuvers/

https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2024/04/01/advocates-speak-out-after-recent-deadly-police-pursuits-in-metro-atlanta/

https://atlantablackstar.com/2023/01/16/there-are-kids-in-the-car-family-of-12-year-old-killed-during-high-speed-chase-wants-officers-held-accountable-for-violating-pit-maneuver-policy/