Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said police officers in her city might soon need permission from their superiors to pursue suspects on foot.
“No one should die as a result of a foot chase,” the mayor said Tuesday.
She added that details of a new policing policy will come out “soon.”
Her comments come after the fatal police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo in Chicago.
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Chicago Alderman Brian Hopkins said officers in the city already need permission to pursue a suspect in a vehicle, and an official in the mayor’s office told him that the policy could also apply to those on foot.
“Of course, that raises obvious problems,” Hopkins said. “In the time it would take to do that, the person you’re supposed to be chasing is actually long gone. The point would be moot then.”
“We’re seeing more vehicles flee from police officers because word has gotten out that they’re probably not going to get permission to chase you,” he said.
The mayor addressed that problem earlier this week, saying, “I don’t want people out there who are dangerous to think, ‘Well, if I just run, then I’m safe. I can continue to wreak havoc.’ We can’t live in that world either.”
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Hopkins added that Chicago is in need of clarifying vague policing rules, saying officers will feel more “comfortable” by them.
“I’m sure the officers themselves would agree with me. The more guidance we can give them, the more comfortable they’ll feel when they have to make these high-stakes decisions in the blink of an eye,” Hopkins said.
