AUSTELL, Ga. — Austell police have launched a review of a PIT maneuver performed during a pursuit that ended with an SUV flipping over while four children were inside.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The investigation follows a crash that occurred after officers attempted to stop a driver at a traffic safety checkpoint.
Police identified the driver as Carlos Rubio. Police say Rubio made a U-turn to avoid the checkpoint and failed to stop when officers attempted a traffic stop.
“The only person that knew there were children in that car when this was happening was the driver,” Austell Police Capt. Tim Allen said.
According to police, Rubio was driving a Jeep with heavily tinted windows. Officers say they later discovered that all four children inside were not properly secured in child safety seats.
“The actions that he took — not stopping on the lawful traffic stop and proceeding the way he did — put those kids at risk, not us ending that pursuit,” Allen said.
Police said that if Rubio had stopped at the checkpoint, officers would have addressed the child safety concerns.
“We would’ve pulled the car over, called the mother, and had them bring child safety seats,” Allen said.
Allen said the department’s pursuit policy generally limits chases to cases involving serious crimes.
“It’s basically forcible felonies — homicide, rape, aggravated assault — things of that nature. We have to be able to articulate that crime in order for us to pursue,” Allen said.
Rubio is facing several charges, including aggravated assault against an officer.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Pregnant mom shot, killed along with her unborn son, was a ‘sweet, caring person’
- Man dead after stranger punched him outside metro Atlanta restaurant
- Chick-fil-A dethroned as top-rated quick service restaurant. Here’s the New No. 1
Police also defended the use of the PIT maneuver, saying department policy allows officers to use the tactic when they can articulate a risk to the public.
“Our policy is pretty straightforward with that. If they can articulate the risk to the public and the officer used their discretion to end that, they can use the PIT maneuver,” Allen said.
The department said both the pursuit and use of force are now under review.
“We are going to make sure we review incident reports, supplements, body camera video, radio transmissions, witness statements. We have the utmost accountability, consistency and transparency, both internally and externally, in everything we do,” Allen said.
Police said the traffic safety checkpoint had been advertised as required by state law and that a large message board was visible to approaching drivers.
Investigators also said Rubio had an active warrant for violating probation at the time of the incident.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]