This happened a few miles from my house

[Crackpot]

http://macombdaily.com/video/media-30128911/?from=email

And I can tell you from the traffic in the area that guy was insane to try that shit.

[Crackpot]

I mean what does that bozo think? That he'd get away? Not fucking likely.

[Scooter]

Mmmmm.

And what about the insanity of police engaging in a high speed chase on a heavily trafficked road over what appears to be nothing but a routine traffic stop?

[Crackpot]

The fleeing gives PC and from what I can see the cops did a good job safely tailing him. Mind you those were County Sheriffs. I'm sure if it were City Cops they would've done something stupid.

Not to mention if the Dipshit did get away all he'd have to do was dump the car and claim it stolen.

[Crackpot]

http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=h&lat=42.627 ... 75&zoom=15

Started just west of Romeo Plank ended just past Card

[loCAtek]

That was cool!

Here's the story behind it;

Man who led police on Hall road chase into oncoming traffic held on bond


By Gordon Wilczynski
Macomb Daily Staff Writer

A 26-year-old St. Clair Shores man who led police on a wild goose chase on Friday is being held in the Macomb County Jail on $50,000 bond is facing charges ranging from driving with a suspended license to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.

Capt. Anthony Wickersham of the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office said Jared Patrick Rutkowski, 26, of Larchmont Street in St. Clair Shores, endangered the lives of many drivers during rush hour traffic on Hall Road when he drove at westbound traffic at a high rate of speed.

Rutkowski was finally stopped when veteran Deputy Ron Murphy positioned his car in front of Rutkowski’s on-coming vehicle which was headed eastbound. Rutkowski crashed into Murphy’s marked patrol vehicle on Hall Road near Card Road in Macomb Township.

“Deputy Murphy’s actions prevented serious injury to other motorists who were driving westbound on Hall Road toward Rutkowski,” Wickersham said. “Fortunately, no one was killed during this incident.”

Deputy Murphy was taken to Mount Clemens Regional Medical Center where he was released after initial treatment to minor injuries.

Rutkowski was charged in 41B District Court on Monday with fleeing and eluding police 3rd degree, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon (his car), operating a vehicle without insurance, receiving and concealing stolen property less valued at less than $200 (license plate stolen from a car in Warren) and operating a vehicle with a suspended license.

Bond was set by Magistrate Daniel Goulette at $50,000. A preliminary examination will be held within 14 days.

Wickersham said the bizarre incident started at 4:29 p.m. on Friday when Officer Jeffrey McPherson saw Rutkowski driving on Hall Road west of Romeo Plank with a stolen license plate. As he approached the car Rutkowski took off at a high rate of speed.

“He first went eastbound and entered a turn around and went westbound,” Wickersham said. “He then drove eastbound in the westbound lanes of Hall Road directly at on-coming traffic and somehow managed to avoid the other motorists until he was stopped by Deputy Murphy.”

[Rick]

I didn't know you lived in MaComb Co.

I thought you lived in Western MI...

[Gob]

Pricks who drive like that, endangering innocent people, just to get away from police, should be put down.

God knows what I would be capable of should one of them hurt Hatch or Hen.

[Crackpot]

I didn't know you lived in MaComb Co.

I thought you lived in Western MI...

That's what you said the last time we went over this.

[Lord Jim]

Something like this happens in Southern California almost every week....

(Though the driving against traffic thing was an interesting twist I hadn't seen before)

Don't any of the TV stations have helicopters where you live CP?

While I disagree with what I take to be Scooters point that people fleeing traffic stops should never be pursued, I do question the wisdom of continuing the pursuit after he started going the wrong way on a major thorough fare....

Even if the TV stations don't have helicopters, surely the cops have one....

[Rick]

I didn't know you lived in MaComb Co.

I thought you lived in Western MI...

That's what you said the last time we went over this.

Oh, sorry...

[Crackpot]

Local? No. I don't think so.

While I disagree with what I take to be Scooters point that people fleeing traffic stops should never be pursued, I do question the wisdom of continuing the pursuit after he started going the wrong way on a major thorough fare....

That's why they ended it ASAP once he did I'd hazard to guess the reason he didn't get hit by oncoming traffic were the lights and sirens following short behind.

[loCAtek]

Exactly, it was no coincidence that there was an oncoming Sheriff to ram him to a stop.

[Scooter]

While I disagree with what I take to be Scooters point that people fleeing traffic stops should never be pursued,...

Not "never", but this guy wasn't wanted for murder, and there was a LOT of traffic on this road. This could so easily have ended in disaster, over what? A stolen car? WGAF? Not me if I'm the one who ended up in a head-on with this guy, or with one of the police vehicles pursuing him.

Exactly, it was no coincidence that there was an oncoming Sheriff to ram him to a stop.

It was no coincidence because there were police up and down the roadway by this point on the lookout for him, not because they planned for him to start driving against traffic.

[Gob]

Could he be charged with endangering the lives of other road users or a similar offense?

[loCAtek]

Exactly, it was no coincidence that there was an oncoming Sheriff to ram him to a stop.

It was no coincidence because there were police up and down the roadway by this point on the lookout for him, not because they planned for him to start driving against traffic.

If you notice in the video, the Sheriff swerved his cruiser to present the widest possible target; he wanted the perp to hit him, to halt his advance. Following that, all available units hit and pinned the vehicle and driver. SOP on stopping the use of a vehicular weapon.

[Scooter]

Who gives a flying fuck? How many civilian cars had to swerve around him by that point and could have easily ended up in a head-on with this idiot? How many accidents could have been caused by the perp and police swerving to and fro through traffic even while travelling in the right direction? HUNDREDS of lives were put at risk, for what? A piece of property? Fuck that.

[loCAtek]

Not law enforcement's fault, but their responsibility to stop.

[Scooter]

No one's arguing that the guy didn't break the law.

No one's arguing that he should have fled the scene rather than surrender.

I'm talking about law enforcement's questionable decision to engage in a high speed chase through bumper to bumper traffic over a piece of stolen property. There was nothing life and death about this. No one had been kidnapped. No one was being raped. This wasn't a terrorist on his way to plant a bomb. This was a freaking stolen car. And they were exceedingly lucky that it doesn't appear that anyone was killed or seriously injured (not sure about the guy/woman whose car was dinged at the very end).

[Sean]

I'm in complete agreement with you on this one Scoot. It's a matter of priorities, no piece of property is worth even one life.