Foot pursuits

[Niceguy07]

How often would you say that you get into a foot pursuit? In the area that i live in i have seen cops running after a person only once and that was in halloween after a few kids lighting some fences up with M80's.
How does it feel catching the bad guy and what do you guys do to make sure that next time they dont try to run away.
Thanks for your imput officers and stay safe.

[SWATcop]

How often would you say that you get into a foot pursuit? In the area that i live in i have seen cops running after a person only once and that was in halloween after a few kids lighting some fences up with M80's.
How does it feel catching the bad guy and what do you guys do to make sure that next time they dont try to run away.
Thanks for your imput officers and stay safe.
I get into a foot chase about once every three months. I puncture my hand climbing a metal fence while chasing them about once every six months.

[2209]

It feels great to catch them.

But I'll say this. I used to think I'd never get beat on a foot pursuit. I'm not the fastest runner, but I do run quite a bit and was cocky in thinking that no thug was ever gonna outrun me.

Then I got smoked on a run by a crack dealer who should have been in the friggen Olympics.

I learned the hard way not to say "never."

But when I'm out running for exercise, I'll often think during that last bit that I'm chasing a thug. Gives me a little bit more umph to train harder. Getting beat on that run put a new spark in my training routine to make sure I stay on the top of my game.

[bcopd79]

Very rare I win a chase... not to say that it doesn't happen tho. I too get into some sort of chase once every 4 to 6 months. More so over the summer.

Keep in mind, I am wearing a ballistic vest, and a gunbelt with an extra 20 or so pounds strapped to my waist when running after someone. The last guy was younger than me, and probably wasn't strapping a lead weight to his ankles.

On the other side, I am watching his hands to make sure he isnt reaching for a weapon, updating my location on the radio, trying to control my breathing while talking, trying not to run into things, all while dragging extra weight (gunbelt) around with me.

It's nice when they fall down or run into a dead end alley or, even better, a backyard with a big unhappy dog named "Meatgrinder" in it.

[K9tosca]

I used to run after them on foot. Excellent thrill bringing back the football days when you hit them because they tire out and you still have gusto. Now that I am older and not as good as shape but still not bad.........but it's nice having a dog. ;)

[LeeRoy]

How often would you say that you get into a foot pursuit?

Not often now that I'm on a motor. Nobody runs from a Harley. When I was in patrol I used to get in about 2 or 3 foot chases a year. I work in a nice area. We don't have street level dope dealing or gang activity. Most chases were either kids or auto burglars.

what do you guys do to make sure that next time they dont try to run away.


1) Use cover officers as much as possible whenever making arrests or contacts of suspicious persons. Our agency expects cover officers to respond to every suspicious person stop. We have anywhere from 6 to 16 officer on at a time in a 25 square mile city so there is always lots of help. There is strength in numbers.

2) Whenever I contact someboedy I watch for clues that somebody is looking to run such as turning away while we're talking or looking for escape routes. The moment I see such clues they are either put in cuffs or are made to sit down and cross their legs out in front of them. That way you have some warning before they get up and sprint. I also try to put myself in the way of their most obvious escape routes if possible.

[bigcop97]

Once every two months or so I have someone take off on me. I am about 50% right when it happens... 95-99% of the time they eventually end up arrested that night though.. hard to run from a radio, dog etc...

I am not real worried about the guy that turns and runs... I am more worried about the guys that dont even bother and just start fighting...

[snowboarder4x4]

Here in LA, were my father is a cop, he gets guys that run from him every two weeks and sometimes gets several a month... Its really busy down here. and a lot of code 3 runs.

[Cold Zero]

Also like maybe one every month or two. Lose 50%. Had one guy run straight into a brick pillar while looking back at me. Priceless.

[e-man]

I used to do at least a foot chase a week maybe. BUT I was in the ghetto and if not me I would back up officers in my station. WE had at least a foot chase a night between us and the housing cops. Now Iam in the suburbs and I think I get out of the car maybe once or twice a night, dinner and a pee break.
Seriously its boring as hell but Iam not getting younger sooo its a trade off.

[webjeep]

Not so many now that I have the Tazer :D

If I can get it out before they make it 21 feet I don't even have to move, if they are that fast and I am off my game I may have to take a few steps.

[SlowDownThere]

Not so many now that I have the Tazer :D




Not so many now that I'm 45, :D

[Five-0fromSoCal]

My partner and I get into at least 1 foot pursuit a week. Happens all the time. Knuckleheads are always running.

[18C3V]

Before I got promoted, it was once a week as a two person unit and that was working in the azzhole of the city.

[1sgkelly]

I used to run after them on foot. Excellent thrill bringing back the football days when you hit them because they tire out and you still have gusto. Now that I am older and not as good as shape but still not bad.........but it's nice having a dog. ;)

You are just sooooo nasty!

:eek:

My kind of guy.

:cool:

[Niceguy07]

Thank you officers for all of your wonderful replies it

[kirch]

Not technically an answer to your last question, but I would never advise a civilian to chase a bad guy. I've got a Taser, OC, a baton, a radio, backup coming and two guns (primary and back-up) on me...and I'm nervous when chasing someone. Most civilians (hopefully) aren't as well-armed as me and can get themselves hurt or worse by chasing scumbags.

I'm not advising people just roll over and take it, but you've got to pick your battles. And chasing some gangbanger through the streets of the hood by yourself is not a good idea.

[e-man]

Me and J {partner} were driving in the ghetto and saw a kid walking with one hand tight against his body and the other swinging nornmaly. J just got done with an illegal concealed gun class with ATF. We end up turning around on the kid and he runs. We chase him into a yard and eventually through the side yard of this old decrepit house. Up some rocky garbage strewn hills, and get him in the rear of this old house. Long story short we went back in the morning to see this house :eek: :eek: IT was condemned and slanted and had no windows, missing tons of floor boards, tons of needles and decrepit crap all over. THis was a 100+ year old stone house that was ready to fall over if we pushed and blew hard enough.
Got the gun and the conviction though :D

[e-man]

I just sat down to eat around 0400hrs. I get a call for kids breaking into cars and unfortunately me, SGt and about the whole shift were about to eat so we go. We see the kids take off from a parked car, we chase back and forth through the yards, the fat kid was caught by SGT and well, I almost had the skinny kid till he jumped a fence and I grabbed a hold of the top to 'assist' ME over but grabbed a broken peice of metal fence and punctured my hand, I still got off "You better Fu@#$ stop Or Ill shoot your *****" :p
I got that trial this week.

[fspd149]

Did anyone see the episode of cops where the officer with one leg ran down the crack dealer. I think it was in Florida.

I have been in about 6 or 7 foot pursuits. Most of them have only been about two blocks or so and other "contributing factors" have made all of them successful because when you are 6'2" and 250lbs. It takes alot of energy to chase a guy down and then fight him into submission. "God made men of all different sizes but Tazer made them equal" A 26" baton stike to the common peronial is fun but requires more paperwork. CYA...

I haven't lost any yet but I imagine about 7 blocks and I will be done.

[hmm]

I am getting older. I have not been in a foot pursuit in over 2 years. I use to be in them all the time. First several years I did great. Last few years I did not do as well.

I use to be able to run them down in no time. I was a sprinter. I had a partner who was distance. That worked well. If I could not catch them then all he had to do was keep the bad guy in sight. They would tire from running to fast and he would catch them. They would be to whipped to fight when he caught up to them. Few got away. Now, I'm afraid I could not catch my breath against a young kid.

[RabbitMPD]

Sadly, I don't get into many foot pursuits. I actually enjoy them. I remember the first time I got into one I was running and hoping over a fence and just couldn't help myself. In my head I starting singing "bad boys, bad boys, watcha gunna do...." :D Too bad I was chasing some dumb kid at an underage drinking party. Everybody thought I was retarded for running over that. And they

[alanmoor]

I have 3 footchase stories that are only mildly entertaining...

The first I had was going after 3 shoplifters. My partner and I were in our patrol car and saw them running down the street with some suits running after them and pointing at them. I was driving so my partner bailed after them when they cut through a yard. I went around the block to find that he got two of them and was pointing me towards the third. I follow the perp in the car for 1/2 a block or so telling him to stop on the PA. He cuts through a yard and I sit in the car (seems like 20 min or so) thinking "well, I guess I'll have to chase him 'cause I'm pretty sure they'd frown on it if I shoot him". I chase him about 2 blocks and he runs into a bllnd spot then thinks he is going to run BACK PAST me! I revert to my football days and pick him up by his shoulders and throw him down on his face. He was about 120lbs, I top 250lbs. He was pretty embarrassed in front of his friends back at the station when they found out I was the one that caught him.

The next was a mugger that ran into a blind alley and gave up - good thing, he was a bigger fellow.

The last was the most entertaining, I was working on horseback with my partner and there was a fight in the street. I take one of the perps and my partner takes the other one. Both take off running, and I'm thinking "OK, my horse can run about 35-40mph, what can you do, especially drunk?". I call in a foot pursuit (the dispatchers had a ball with that, they could hear the hoofbeats in the background). I get mine caught (he realized the futility and gave up pretty quickly) and turned over to a foot patrol unit and chase after my partner (we were just across the street from each other. His was actually combative and we pursued him for a few blocks before I pinned him against a fence and cuffed him. Horses never broke and easy trot.

Us county guys don't get many foot pursuits, all the above happenned in town, they seem to happen there all the time.

The best part is catching someone younger and in better shape than you. I don't really try to catch them (unless I'm on the horse), just keep them in site and give a coherent radio report on my location.

[Niceguy07]

damn those were some good stories. I love the excitement that comes along with foot pursuits and I can run for days without getting tired so that helps too. Anyways when I become a police officer (notice how I said when not if) sometime in the near future I am sure I will be running after anyone who bails on me, even if it is an underage drinker.
I am confident that I will be come a police officer because, I have stayed away from all sorts of mischief that teens usually get into, I am getting good grades, I was one of 48 students selected to attend an 8 day police camp that will start this month, I have been volunteering on a regular basis since I was 16 for my community policing centre, never smoked a cigarette, joint and have never drunk any sort of alcohol in my life (I like to stay healthy and clean) and finally I think I have what it takes to become a great police officer, I am already looking at practice police exams, driving safely (no speeding tickets) never been trouble in high school, help out in the summer to teach children aged 5-9 how to read, am volunteering with other organization within my community as well and am I good people person and get along with people easy. The only down fall might be that even though I am in good shape I think that after I finish high school this year I will start to weight train and gain a bit more weight in order to make sure that I can handle myself out there maybe take a few karate classes as well. Anyways that

[seibert253]

If I don't catch them in the first 50 yards, then they got away.
Age and experience will always overcome youth and skill.

[OffDuty]

I would say on average about every four months. In my city there is one in town about every two days somewhere. (100k residents). We're a busy area with a lot of crime. For some reason though I notice some people are more prone to having runners than others. I dont know if its tactics, approach, or just luck that they get the ones who rabbit.

I've only lost two, one was because I was back in my car on a stop and he had a good lead time and the other was because I lost him in between two houses, so following procedure I stayed put at the last known spot until K9 showed up. K9 offier shows up and proceeds to go with her dog the exact OPPOSITE way I showed her. She is useless but thats another thread.

[RBrodowski]

I was in one last night....fast little bastard too. I was impressed that I kept up with him for as long as I did, though when I became winded my partner took the lead. He was went and laid down in a small wooded area between a shopping center and a school. My partner told him, "Man we've got the dog on the way so you can either come on out now or get chewed on by the dog." That usually scares them.

Though I must say that the new Danners I just got weren't too bad to run in. I didn't really feel the extra weight (though my beat partner did have on "tennis shoe" like boots on.

[grumpyjoe]

Dont have any good stories, I also have a taser. HEHE. Did hear a funny one on the radio. It was kinda strange, As he was talking I could also hear the "bing bing bing bing" of the door ajar alarm going off. ;) LOL, he didnt catch the bad guy. Told him later that he should aleast stand out side the car with the door closed before calling it in.

[tpcop007]

we don't get into too many here. usually we run after then for about a minute and then if you don;t get them you set up a box and let the dog bite them!!!!!!! :D

[SHERIFF]

Not so many now that I have the Tazer :D

If I can get it out before they make it 21 feet I don't even have to move, if they are that fast and I am off my game I may have to take a few steps.

I thought in the Peoples Republic of Charlottesville it's used as a defensive weapon, not an offensive weapon?