SHREVEPORT POLICE DEPARTMENT

GENERAL ORDER

DATE ISSUED: EFFECTIVE DATE: REVIEW DATE: PROCEDURE NUMBER:

MAY 25, 1989 APR 28, 2016 APR 28, 2018 SPD 606.01
ISSUED BY: DISTRIBUTION: REVISION DATE:
W. L. Shaw, Jr. All Personnel DEC 2015 PAGE 1 OF 8 PAGES
SUBJECT: VEHICLE PURSUITS (RED POLICY)
INDEX: SPIKE STRIPS; TERMINATE PURSUIT; TIRE DEFLATION DEVICE; TIRE DEFLATION TRAINING; VEHICLE
PURSUITS, PURSUIT REPORT
CROSS REF: LRS 32:24, IACP Model Policy: Vehicular Pursuits, dated December 2015, SPD 304.04 Risk
Management, SPD 601.10 Subject Management
Index

I. PURPOSE:
The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for the initiation, termination and continuation of vehicular
pursuits.

II. POLICY:
Vehicular pursuit of fleeing suspects can present a danger to the lives of the public, officers and suspects
involved in the pursuit. Tactics used to stop a fleeing vehicle may be considered a use of force. It is the policy
of the Shreveport Police Department to regulate the manner in which vehicle pursuits are undertaken and
performed.

III. DEFINITIONS:
A. Initiating Vehicle: The initiating unit is defined as the police unit that originates the pursuit.
B. Primary Unit: The primary unit is defined as the marked unit directly behind the suspect vehicle.
C. Secondary Unit: The secondary unit is defined as the marked unit involved as backup to the primary unit
and behind the primary vehicle.
D. Terminate Vehicle Pursuit: Means to cease the attempt by an officer to apprehend fleeing suspects.
E. Tire Deflation Devices: Equipment specifically designed to deflate vehicle tires gradually for a controlled
stop and apprehension. The device is normally positioned across a roadway in anticipation of an
approaching suspect vehicle that is being pursued. These devices may also be referred to as spike strips.
F. Vehicular Pursuit: A deliberate attempt by an officer in an authorized vehicle to apprehend a fleeing
suspect(s) who is attempting to avoid apprehension through evasive tactics.

IV. STATE LAW:

Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:24A states: Emergency vehicles; exceptions
A. The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle, when responding to an emergency call, or when in the
pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, or when responding to, but not upon returning from, a
fire alarm, may exercise the privileges set forth in this Section, but subject to the conditions herein stated.
B. The driver or rider of an authorized emergency vehicle may do any of the following:
(1) Park or stand, irrespective of the provisions of this Chapter;
(2) Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down or stopping as may be
necessary for safe operation;
(3) Exceed the maximum speed limits so long as he does not endanger life or property;
(4) Disregard regulations governing the direction of movement or turning in specified directions.
C. The exceptions herein granted to an authorized emergency vehicle shall apply only when such vehicle or
bicycle is making use of audible or visual signals, including the use of a police officer cycle rider’s whistle,
sufficient to warn motorists of their approach, except that a police vehicle need not be equipped with or
display a red light visible from in front of the vehicle.
D. The foregoing provisions shall not relieve the driver or rider of an authorized vehicle from the duty to drive or
ride with due regard for the safety of all persons, nor shall such provisions protect the driver or rider from
the consequences of his reckless disregard for the safety of others.
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V. PROCEDURES:
A. Initiation of pursuit
1. Pursuit is authorized only if the officer has a reasonable belief that the suspect, if allowed to flee, would
present a danger to human life or cause serious injury. In general, pursuits for minor violations are
discouraged.
2. The decision to initiate a pursuit must be based on the pursuing officer’s conclusion that the immediate
danger to the officer and the public created by the pursuit is less than the immediate or potential danger
to the public should the suspect remain at large.
3. Unless a greater hazard would result, a pursuit should not be undertaken if the subject(s) can be
identified with enough certainty that they can be apprehended at a later time.
4. In deciding whether to initiate or continue a pursuit, the officer shall consider the following:
a. The seriousness of the offense.
b. Known information on the suspect.
c. Road configuration (interstate, divided highway, work zone), road type and condition.
d. Physical location, population density (residential area, school zone, business district) and time of
day.
e. Existence of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
f. Lighting and visibility.
g. Weather and environmental conditions.
h. The relative performance capabilities of the pursuit vehicle and the vehicle being pursued.
i. Officer training and experience.
j. Available equipment.
k. Speed and tactics employed by the suspect.
l. The presence of other persons in the police and suspect vehicle.
m. Any condition or situation that would create and unreasonable risk.
5. Unmarked units, auxiliary units, motorcycle units and those units not equipped with emergency lights
and siren shall not join in vehicular pursuits.
6. Officers operating a private automobile are not authorized to become involved in a pursuit.
7. Police vehicles containing non-police occupants shall not become engaged in vehicular pursuits.
8. The vehicular pursuit will be limited to the primary vehicle, the secondary vehicle and a supervisor.
Only a supervisor may authorize additional vehicles.
9. An officer should not intentionally place him/herself in front of a vehicle that is fleeing or has failed to
stop.
10. The chain-of-command applies in any pursuit situation.
B. Pursuit operations
1. All emergency vehicle operations shall be conducted in accordance with SPD policy and Louisiana
State Law.
2. Upon undertaking a pursuit, the pursuing vehicles shall activate emergency lights, sirens and cameras
and they shall remain activated for the duration of the pursuit.
3. Upon undertaking a pursuit, the officer shall notify communications of the
a. Initial purpose of the stop.
b. Any information concerning the use of firearms, threat of force or other unusual hazard.
c. Location, direction and speed of the pursuit.
d. Description of the pursued vehicle, including the plate number, if known.
e. Number, identify and description of any known occupants.
4. The officer shall continuously update a supervisor on the pursuit conditions, location, weather
conditions and presence of other traffic.
5. When feasible, the secondary unit shall immediately notify communications that they are joining the
pursuit and should assume responsibility for relaying information to communications.
6. The secondary unit will follow the primary unit and assume the primary position if it is disabled and will
not attempt to pass the primary vehicle, unless assuming the duties of the primary unit.
7. No pursuit shall be conducted in a direction against the lawful flow of traffic on a one-way street or a
lane of a divided highway.
8. Unless circumstances dictate otherwise, a pursuit shall consist of no more than two police vehicles: a
primary and a secondary.
a. All other personnel shall stay clear of the pursuit unless instructed to participate by a supervisor.
b. The number of vehicles engaged in a pursuit may be adjusted to fit the situation with supervisory
approval.
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c. A supervisor who has joined in the pursuit and supervised the units shall be considered an
additional unit.
d. The supervisor shall consider units from other jurisdictions in determining the number of vehicles
participating.
9. The primary unit shall become the secondary unit if the fleeing vehicle comes under air surveillance.
10. Communication officer - Upon receiving notification of a vehicular pursuit in progress, the
communication officer shall
a. Notify a patrol supervisor of the vehicular pursuit. The supervisor notified shall become the pursuit
supervisor unless another supervisor assumes command of the pursuit.
b. Coordinate communications with other agencies, if necessary.
c. Advise all units to “clear the channel” (10-33).
d. Maintain radio discipline during the vehicular pursuit.
1) The communication officer shall coordinate communications, even if the vehicular pursuit
passes into another dispatch zone. In this case, the vehicular pursuit will be broadcast on both
the originating channel and the channel for the zone into which the vehicular pursuit has
passed.
2) Pursuing units will not be asked to change channels during the vehicular pursuit. Other traffic
operating on the original channel will be shifted to an alternate channel.
e. Once notified that the pursuit has been terminated, broadcast this information to all involved units
and confirm acknowledgment of the termination from each involved unit.
C. Supervisor responsibilities
1. Supervisors are responsible for managing all vehicular pursuits to include determining whether the
pursuit should continue or be terminated.
2. When made aware of a vehicle pursuit, the appropriate supervisor shall notify communications that
he/she is the supervisor in charge, which denotes monitoring the pursuit and accepting supervisor
responsibility.
3. The supervisor is responsible for
a. Monitoring incoming information.
b. Coordinating and directing activities as needed to ensure that proper procedures are used, to
include ensuring that
1) No more than the necessary number of units is involved.
2) When available aircraft have been requested.
3) Radio traffic is necessary and relevant.
4) Surrounding jurisdictions have been notified.
c. Discontinuing the pursuit when necessary.
4. A supervisor shall respond to the termination point following a pursuit, if not already there.
a. Monitor the vehicular pursuit and continually assess the situation, terminating the vehicular pursuit
when the risk of danger in continuing the vehicular pursuit is greater than allowing the suspect to
flee.
b. Normally, the following situations do not warrant a pursuit and any pursuit based solely on these
criteria should be strongly evaluated. Examples include, but are not limited to
1) The mere act of fleeing, failure to stop
2) Minor traffic infractions
3) DWI, Careless and Reckless Driving, and Hit and Run not resulting in serious bodily injury or
death
4) Property crimes including auto theft and unauthorized use
5) When the pursuit is in a direction opposite to the flow of traffic on a divided highway
c. When the tire deflation device is warranted for use, the supervisor will oversee the deployment of
the device, when possible. It will be the responsibility of the supervisor to determine if the device is
to be deployed and if multiple attempts are warranted. Officer and public safety should be
considered before deploying a tire deflation device. Consideration should be given to vehicles
containing warning placards that indicate hazardous cargo, as tire deflation devices may reduce a
driver’s control of the vehicle. Additional consideration should be given, but not limited to tour
buses, school buses and any other vehicle with multiple passengers and/or special or hazardous
cargo.
d. Manage the termination scene.
D. Pursuit tactics
1. All officers involved in a vehicular pursuit shall wear a seat belt.
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2. Non-involved officers shall not follow the pursuit on parallel streets unless it is possible to conduct such
an operation without unreasonable hazard to other vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
3. The use of roadblocks, ramming, boxing or any other impact maneuver is not authorized.
4. Lethal force is authorized under the same circumstances that would authorize its use if not involved in a
vehicle pursuit. Any lethal force will be directed at the person (driver or passenger) who poses the
threat, not at the vehicle. See SPD 601.10 Subject Management.
5. Under no circumstances are tire deflation devices to be used on motorcycles, as this could
constitute lethal force.
6. Firearms shall not be discharged from a moving vehicle, unless an exigent circumstance exists.
7. Once the pursued vehicle is stopped, officers shall utilize appropriate officer safety tactics. The
suspect(s) shall be taken into custody in accordance with law and SPD policy, using only the amount of
force reasonably necessary to affect an arrest.
E. Tire deflation devices
1. The Academy will conduct instruction on this directive prior to the issuance of tire deflation devices.
2. The Academy will provide and document training for users of the tire deflation device authorized by the
Department.
3. Officers, of any rank, may be issued a tire deflation device only after satisfactorily completion of the
required training program.
4. Deployment of a tire deflation device will be accomplished in keeping with the training received from the
Shreveport Police Academy.
5. Tire deflation devices may not be used on motorcycles, three wheel vehicles, all-terrain vehicles or
specialty vehicles. Special consideration should be given to the circumstances of an event before use
on freight trucks, buses, motor carriers, etc.
6. When possible, the pursuit supervisor will make the decision on whether a tire deflation device is to be
deployed and coordinate the deployment.
7. Vehicle placement prior to and during deployment of tire deflation devices
a. When possible, a patrol vehicle will be placed with the emergency lights on in the best position
possible for safety.
b. For safety reasons avoid deploying tire deflation devices on wet surfaces, loose payment or gravel.
c. A patrol or other vehicle should never be considered adequate cover when deploying tire deflation
devices.
d. Never deploy a tire deflation device with pedestrians in the immediate vicinity.
e. Considerations should be given to the suspect losing control of the fleeing vehicle before
deployment. Examples include but are not limited to: Excessive speed or impairment from alcohol
or drugs.
8. Deployment procedure
a. Select an appropriate position for deployment based on training and circumstances. Generally, the
deployment area should be a low traffic area, with limited access and an open view to approaching
traffic.
b. Following a deployment of tire deflation devices, where the device has been impacted, the pursuit
supervisor will be responsible for completion of all reports.
F. Termination of the pursuit
1. The primary unit and supervisor shall continually reevaluate and assess the pursuit situation including all
of the initiating factors and terminate the pursuit whenever it is reasonable to believe the risks
associated with continued pursuit are greater than the public safety benefit of making an immediate
apprehension.
2. The pursuit may be terminated by the primary unit at any time.
3. A supervisor may order the termination of a pursuit at any time.
4. A pursuit should be terminated if the suspect’s identity has been determined, immediate apprehension
is not necessary to protect the public or officers and apprehension at a later time is feasible.
5. The pursuit should be terminated if the pursued vehicle’s location is no longer definitively known.
6. When a pursuit is terminated by the pursuing officer or supervisor, he or she shall notify dispatch and
other units that the pursuit has been terminated. The pursuing officer or supervisor will also notify
dispatch of the exact location and time of the termination of the pursuit.
a. The dispatcher shall broadcast that the pursuit has been terminated to all units and confirm
acknowledgment of the termination from each involved unit. Also the dispatcher will broadcast the
location and tine of the termination of the pursuit.
b. The pursuit supervisor shall direct all involved units to a designated location in order to initiate
proper documentation of the pursuit.
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7. A vehicular pursuit shall be terminated when
a. The suspect is stopped.
b. The hazards are high, exposing the public, officer or offender to unwarranted risk, especially when
the violation is not a serious one.
c. Conditions clearly indicate the futility of further vehicular pursuit.
d. The suspect is known and a warrant can be obtained unless failing to pursue will allow a dangerous
person to continue to threaten the public.
e. The officer has been directed to discontinue the vehicle pursuit by a supervisor.
G. Interjurisdictional pursuits
1. The pursuing officer shall notify a supervisor and communications when it is likely that a pursuit will
continue into a neighboring jurisdiction or across the parish or state line. Communications shall
immediately notify law enforcement in the jurisdiction being entered by the pursuit.
2. When a pursuit extends into another jurisdiction, the responsible supervisor or the primary unit, if a
supervisor is not available, shall determine if the other jurisdiction should be asked to assume the
pursuit. The following should be considered:
a. The distance between the pursuing and pursued vehicles and the speed involved.
b. The pursuing officer’s level of familiarity with the area.
c. The willingness and capability of the other jurisdiction to assume control of the pursuit.
d. Communication limitations at longer distances.
3. If it is determined that the control of the pursuit should be relinquished to another jurisdiction, the
request shall be clearly relayed to that agency. Confirmation of their acceptance of control of the
pursuit should be obtained.
4. Pursuit into a bordering jurisdiction shall conform to the laws of both jurisdictions and any applicable
interjurisdictional agreements. The action of officers shall be governed by the policy of the officers’
own agency.
5. Once a pursuit has been taken over by the law enforcement agency of another jurisdiction, the initial
pursuing officers shall cease emergency driving and proceed to the termination point, when applicable.
6. For officer safety consideration, if no assistance can be obtained from a unit with authorized police
powers within that jurisdiction and radio communication is lost between the Shreveport unit and
dispatch, the pursuit will be terminated. Once terminated, the location and time of the pursuit will be
given to applicable parties.
H. Pursuits from other jurisdictions
1. Participation in a neighboring jurisdiction’s pursuit is appropriate only in response to a specific request
for participation. Mere notification of the existence of a pursuit shall not be construed as a request for
participation. Upon such notification, the communications center shall clarify whether SPD is being
requested to assist in the pursuit.
2. Prior to acceptance of a pursuit from another agency, the responsible supervisor shall determine the
degree of SPD’s involvement, if any, and provide the appropriate direction.
3. When the pursuit is assumed by this agency and where appropriate, the supervisor shall attempt to
relieve units from the other agency.
4. If a police vehicle from another jurisdiction continues a vehicular pursuit into, or initiates a vehicular
pursuit within the City of Shreveport, one Shreveport unit and a supervisor will assist, when possible.
5. When the vehicular pursuit terminates, the assisting unit will respond, assist and make an offense
report.
I. Reporting procedures
1. Whenever an officer engages in a pursuit, he/she shall file a written offense report detailing the
circumstances.
2. Any pursuit that results in a fatality, personal injury or serious property damage shall be investigated by
personnel who were not directly involved in the pursuit.
3. All videos of vehicular pursuits shall be reviewed by the appropriate supervisor following the incident.
4. The pursuit supervisor shall complete the vehicle pursuit packet. In the event the pursuit supervisor
was involved in the pursuit, his/her supervisor shall complete the vehicle pursuit packet.
5. The following reports are required:
a. Vehicle Pursuit Report form
b. Offense and/or crash reports (copy)
c. Supervisor overview in the form of an IOC
Supervisors shall ensure all reports are complete and accurate.
6. Report distribution
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The supervisor shall ensure all required reports go to the member’s captain or designee. In the
instance of multiple members from different commands, the supervisor shall make a determination
based on the individual incurring the loss/damage, the captain with the largest number of involved
employees or a similarly logical decision.
J. Training
Officers shall be given initial and periodic updated training.

____________________________
W. L. Shaw, Jr.
Chief of Police
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