After two Bakersfield Police pursuits ended with someone dead over the weekend, 23ABC talked to BPD about the decisions officers make to continue or discontinue pursuits when they happen.
Sergeant Gary Carruesco with the Bakersfield Police Department said there are many factors that come into play when a pursuit starts and every decision they make is based off of risk versus reward.
Sgt. Carruesco said every pursuits is unique and all factors have to be considered to determine whether or not to continue the pursuits.
"Things like roadway conditions, traffic, speeds of the pursuit, whether or not they're in an area around a school and there's kids getting out. The ability of not only the suspect to drive but the officer as well," said Sgt. Carruesco.
He said the crime that the suspect is being chased for is also a major factor.
"If we know that we're chasing somebody for a minor infraction, the likelihood of that pursuit getting canceled is very high. If this is a murder suspect and we have an obligation to catch this person before they harm anybody else, we're going to continue that pursuit at all costs," said Sgt. Carruesco.
Officers can call off the pursuit at any time and if they don't, supervisors who listen in can step in and call it off if they think it's too dangerous.
"When you're thinking about the risk versus the reward and the liability for not only the organization but the city as well, it's a very easy decision to call them off.
