90-minute police chase ends in car accident, Dallas County constable admits mistakes were made
A controversial high-speed car chase that took place Monday ended in a car accident that left the suspect in critical condition. The chase lasted 90 minutes, with Dallas County Precinct 2 deputy constables and other law enforcement officers pursuing the suspect through four different cities.
The chase came to a stop only when a truck with a green light proceeded through an intersection and t-boned the suspect’s vehicle. The accident took place near the border between
The man who led the chase was 29-year-old Shane W. Michel, who is accused of forgery. Michel was driving wildly out of control, clipping highway signs and successfully avoided the stop sticks thrown into the road by law enforcement.
Michel was critically injured and spent several days in a hospital before he was transferred to the county jail. The driver of the truck was not injured.
The controversy swirling around the chase is centered on why the chase lasted as long as it did. Lack of communication amongst the various law enforcement agencies pursuing the suspect is being considered one of the top factors that contributed to the length of the chase.
The officers in the Department of Public Safety (DPS) helicopter could hear the frequency but were unable to respond. Telephone was the only means of communication between the two agencies.
Miscommunication was another factor. The Precinct #2 constables mistook an announcement over the radio stating “DPS is in it now” for “DPS is in the lead now.”
These factors combined led to the decision to reenter the chase.
Michael Gothard, the Dallas Constable, has admitted that mistakes were made. He does, however, defend the decision not to back off from the chase. Gothard states that criminals leading police on chases typically do not know that the chase has been called off and continue to run. “Our feeling is, in this situation, if we'd have backed off, that accident would still happen,” Gothard said.
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