Washington Senate gives final OK to high-speed pursuit changes, moving bill to Inslee’s desk

Police officers would be able to use high-speed chases to pursue a greater array of suspects under a bill that received final approval by the Senate Monday.

Under the proposal sent to Gov. Jay Inslee, police would need only “reasonable suspicion” rather than the stricter standard of “probable cause” to engage in a high-speed pursuit of someone suspected of certain crimes.

Current law allows high-speed pursuits for certain violent offenses and sexual offenses. The proposal would add vehicular assaults and assaults involving domestic violence.

The final version also requires the pursuing officer to have completed a special emergency vehicle operator’s course and be certified in certain pursuit tactics; notify a supervisor of the pursuit; and the officer, supervisor or an emergency dispatcher to develop a plan to end the pursuit as quickly as possible through other techniques, such as the deployment of tire deflation devices.

Republican Mike Padden, of Spokane Valley, said the changes made the bill better, although some Republicans still had problems with the parts of the original bill that remained, including the failure to include auto theft as a crime that would allow high-speed pursuit.