6 year old girl and CHP killed in 2 separate California high speed chases

[Liberal_in_LA]

CHP officer killed in Redlands identified as 7-year veteran, father of two
June 11, 2010 | 11:06 am

The California Highway Patrol officer who was killed Friday morning during a pursuit in Redlands was identified as Tom Coleman, an officer in the San Bernardino division of the agency, officials said.

Coleman, a seven-year veteran of the department, was killed about 6:30 a.m. during a pursuit that began minutes earlier when he tried to pull over a Ford Focus on Mountain View Drive near the 210 Freeway and the driver wouldn't stop, said Mario Lopez, a spokesman for the Inland division of the CHP.

Within a few minutes, Coleman crashed into a big rig and the suspect continued on, crashing moments later with another car near the Citrus Plaza shopping center. The four people inside the Ford Focus were arrested.

On Friday morning, a blue and silver CHP helmet lay on the side of the intersection of San Bernardino Avenue and Alabama Street, where Coleman was killed. Part of a mangled motorcycle lay nearby. Coleman's body was draped in an American flag, which was shrouded by a red tarp.

“It was a very short pursuit," Lopez said. "It happened no more than one or two minutes later."


CHP Officer Daniel Hesser said Coleman was traveling using lights and sirens. Coleman, a married father of two, was declared dead at the scene.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/06/chp-officer-killed-in-redlands-identified.html
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Death of 6-year-old during LAPD pursuit 'extremely tragic,' Chief Charlie Beck says
Robert J. Lopez and Shelby Grad

Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

June 11, 2010 | 7:38 a.m.

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck called the death of a 6-year-old girl who was pinned against a wall at the end of a short police pursuit "an extremely tragic incident."

The accident occurred Thursday evening at the end of a two-minute pursuit by the LAPD near Fenton Avenue and Van Nuys Boulevard in Lake View Terrace.

The car police were chasing turned onto a residential street and slammed into the girl as she was playing with other children near her home.

http://www.latimes.com/news/la-lapd-pursuit-20100611-m,0,1995744.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fmostviewed+%28L.A.+Times+-+Most+Viewed+Stories%29

[Booster]

1. Sad. I honestly don't know why the police just don't let the

helicopters follow the people until they either stop or run out of gas. I know it would take longer, but it would be a lot safer. Maybe someone has an answer as to why they don't do that.

[Codeine]

2. These happened within the first moments of the chases.

Takes a while to have a chopper get on the scene. Both accidents occurred within two minutes of the chase beginning.