TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – A retired law enforcement officer of 30 years is weighing in on the hour-long high-speed chase throughout Tallahassee last week.
“It’s one of the most dangerous things we can be involved in,” John Creamer said. “If it goes bad, it goes really bad.”
Arrest papers show Zachary Read was taken into custody, accused of leading law enforcement on that chase.
Creamer said the decision to pursue a car is high-stakes.
“Police chiefs and sheriffs have been wrestling with this decision because we have to balance the need to take a violent offender into custody versus the need to keep the community safe,” he said.
He also pointed out that having the aerial view from the Leon County Sheriff’s Office helicopter significantly helps law enforcement on the ground.
“While the helicopter’s trailing the vehicle, now the officers can create a coordinated response to when the vehicle comes to a stop,” Creamer said. “It takes a lot of the danger out.”
More Tallahassee news:
The Florida Highway Patrol reported there were seven hit-and-runs as a result of last week’s chase, prompting a different discussion about insurance.
“You’ve got to have uninsured motorists coverage,” Attorney Hal Lewis with Fonvielle, Lewis, Messer & McConnaughhay said. “That’s what protects us from hit-and-run accidents, from stolen vehicle accidents, or even in situations where the driver just doesn’t have very much insurance.”
According to Lewis, many people are unaware of how significant the protection can be.
“You have to ask for it, specifically, because you’re not getting it if you’re just getting the basic insurance,” he said. “Still, it is so worth it because we’re talking about astronomical damages, sometimes, in car accidents, that there’s no other form of compensation. It covers lost wages. It covers medical bills, pain and suffering.”
He said it’s unfortunate that many people find out about uninsured motorists coverage after a hit-and-run has occurred.
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