A high-speed police chase that began in Haltom City ended in a crash at an intersection in Dallas early Sunday morning that injured several minors.
At around 1:30 a.m., Haltom City police officers attempted to pull over a suspect in a black Ford Mustang for allegedly driving recklessly in the 4000 block of Denton Highway. The suspect reportedly failed to comply and attempted to evade authorities, leading officers toward Dallas.
Shortly before 2 a.m., the suspect allegedly ran through a red light at the intersection of I-35 frontage and Continental Avenue, striking an SUV. First responders arrived at the scene and administered aid to those involved in the accident. All three occupants inside the Mustang were minors and were hospitalized for non-life-threatening injuries. The two occupants of the SUV were adults and were also taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
As covered by The Dallas Express, there has been considerable talk about high-speed police chases in North Texas, where each police department has its own pursuit guidelines. While the Dallas Police Department does not allow its officers to pursue suspects’ vehicles for anything but a violent felony, other departments, such as the Irving Police Department, expect officers to make a judgment call, assessing whether the risks of pursuit outweigh the benefits of making an arrest.
In early February, officers in Irving pursued the driver of a stolen vehicle from Irving to Dallas, where the suspect ultimately lost control and drove off the southbound I-35E Woodall Rodgers ramp. All four of the occupants of the vehicle were killed.
The recent pursuit-related crash occurred near Council Member Jesse Moreno’s District 2. As of February 25, 1,575 crimes had been logged in District 2, according to the City’s crime analytics dashboard.
District 2 is located in Downtown Dallas, which consistently logs higher rates of assaults, motor vehicle theft, and drug offenses than Fort Worth’s city center, as studies conducted by the Metroplex Civic & Business Association each month show.
While Fort Worth maintains public safety in its downtown area through a dedicated neighborhood police unit working in concert with private security officers, DPD has been laboring under a significant staffing shortage. It fields just 3,000 officers despite a City report calling for 4,000 to address crime adequately.
City officials recently adopted a $654 million budget for DPD this year, opting to spend considerably less on police than other high-crime jurisdictions, like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.
