EPD Addresses The False/ Inflammatory Comments Posted On Social Media

As news coverage of Wednesday’s fatal crash has circulated on social media pages, several false and inflammatory comments have surfaced. These post have been accepted by others as facts and have added an unnecessary strain on our community as we deal with this tragic loss of two young, innocent victims.

The claims that a police officer rammed the suspect vehicle and caused the crash are false. There was never any contact between a police car and the suspect car. We know for certain that it took the officers 10 seonds to reach the crash scene due to the gap between them and the suspect. The claim that there is a video of the officer ramming the suspect is also false. The claim that a copy of that video was given to the media is also false.

The claims that officers held the mother at gunpoint as she cried out for her children are false. The officers did approach the crash scene with guns drawn. The damage to the car was significant and the officers initially believed they were ordering the suspect out of the car they had just pursued. As soon as the could see the occupants of the car, they relized they were dealing with the victims, not the suspect. This was a matter of seconds, not minutes. The officers had already changed roles and began administering first aid before the mother regained consciousness.

The speculation that the outcome was based solely on the officers decisions fails to acknowledge any other possible factors. We know for certain that officers ending their involvement in a pursuit only guarantees one thing. It guarantees that our officers are no longer involved in a pursuit. It does not guarantee that the fleeing driver will change their driving behavior. We had a recent event where a pursuit was terminated and the driver crashed 4-5 blocks later. The driver died in the crash even though there were no police cars chasing or following him.

The rush to condemn these officers is being done by individuals wh o have the luxury of hindsight. It is easy to judge a decision when you know the final outcome. The officers in this case did not have that same luxury. They make decisions based on training, experience, and department guidelines.

There will be a day for judgment. It will come when all if the facts are known. Today is not that day. Today is a day to mourn the loss of Princess and Prince Carter. Today is the day to hold your loved ones a little closer. Today is the day to come together as a Community to support a grieving family.

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