Wednesday, July 31, 2002
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Wednesday, July 31, 2002 |
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Luthersville officers on leave after chase fatality By JOHN MUNFORD Although he wouldn't release many details about the deadly chase through Peachtree City initiated by two Luthersville police officers Saturday night, Luthersville Police Chief David Yates confirmed both officers were on administrative leave so they could "grieve" about the incident which left an innocent Peachtree City motorist dead. According to Peachtree City Police Chief James Murray, the pursuit reached speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour after it went through The Avenue shopping center. Yates, who would not reveal the officers' names or for what reasons the pursuit was conducted, confirmed that he has ordered an independent internal investigation of the matter. He did offer to provide a copy of the incident report to The Citizen, but added that it did not indicate why the pursuit began. The Citizen was unable to review that report by press time Tuesday. Yates told The Citizen Tuesday that no details would be released until the internal and criminal investigations were completed. He added, however, that he has conducted a cursory review of the matter. "I have done a preliminary investigation to make sure nothing was blatantly done wrong," Yates said, adding that he hasn't received any information that shows his officers were in the wrong. "We turned over our video (of the incident) to the Georgia State Patrol," Yates said. The GSP has confirmed that neither of Luthersville's pursuing officers was involved in the collision that killed the Peachtree City motorist. Yates said both officers were struggling to deal with the aftermath of the deadly pursuit. "It's bothering them. They've got families and they've got kids," Yates said, later adding, "We're talking about children that were hurt because their mother didn't have enough sense to stop." Yates said he was advised not to release details of the pursuit by the Luthersville city attorney and the GSP. He did indicate that officers had more than one reason to pursue the suspect, who fled police with three children in her vehicle. The internal investigation will be conducted by a captain from the Greenville Police Department chosen by Yates. Yates said the captain has no connections to either of the Luthersville officers involved in the incident. The investigator was selected since Greenville is a small department similar to Luthersville, Yates said. Yates' entire staff consists of himself and the two officers.
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