- Police in Missouri say they broke off a chase involving a Dodge Charger Hellcat due to public safety.
- That didn’t stop them from finding the suspect not long after and securing the stolen car with minimal damage.
- The incident is an example of success despite a safety-oriented chase suspension.
Police officers have a tough job to do across the world and how they determine when to start and end a chase is just one part of it. For the deputies in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, choosing to stop a chase didn’t mean simply letting the suspect get away. Instead, they used the other tools available to bring him to justice.
According to officers, 18-year-old Javon Baker sneaked onto the lot of Heartland Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram. As a salesman was driving a Dodge Charger Hellcat on the lot, Baker approached the vehicle and allegedly pointed a gun at the driver before taking the car. He left and, according to data in the vehicle’s infotainment system, reached a speed of 169 mph (271 km/h) sometime soon after.
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Police terminated the chase due to concern for public safety. That move is in line with direction from several organizations including the Department of Justice. In this case, it also allowed officers to recover the car with minimal damage rather than the kind that typically happens in the odd PIT maneuver.
What damage did exist was done in the initial getaway from the dealer lot and then to the interior as the alleged thief attempted to find and discard a GPS tracker.
Clay County Sheriff’s found the car abandoned near Liberty High School. Then, they began searching for the suspect. “Using security camera footage, they traced the suspect to a nearby apartment complex, where a K-9 unit successfully tracked him down,” said Lt. Ryan Dowdy of the Excelsior Springs Police Department.
Less than four hours after the initial crime, the suspect was in jail. This is a great example of comprehensive detective work. Officers leveraged all of the evidence available along with video and a police dog to find the suspect. Now, Baker is facing charges of first-degree robbery, armed criminal action, and resisting arrest.