L5P crash: Advocates call for high-speed police pursuit reform
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Kate Weaver, a friend of the Schoenke family, said Cooper Schoenke was a "kind and loving son, brother, and friend" with a wry sense of humor and love of music. Photo: Thomas Wheatley/Axios
Advocates for safer streets and police reform are demanding Gov. Brian Kemp change rules about high-speed pursuits after officials say a fleeing suspect struck and killed an innocent person in Little Five Points.
Driving the news: On Wednesday, city and state lawmakers called on Kemp to take immediate executive action, instead of waiting until the next legislative session in January, to prevent another pursuit and crash like the one that killed 19-year-old Cooper Schoenke.
Catch up quick: On Monday night, according to the Georgia State Patrol, Faduma Mohamed of Stone Mountain was seen speeding and changing lanes erratically on Interstate 20.
- The agency said she then hopped off at the Moreland Avenue exit and headed north to outrun a state trooper.
- Mohamed struck Schoenke's vehicle at the McLendon Avenue intersection, GSP said. Schoenke died at the scene.
State of play: Mohamed has been charged with murder, vehicular homicide in the first degree, and other traffic and drug offenses.
Zoom in: In the short term, advocates want troopers to only pursue suspects accused of committing violent felonies, get a supervisor's approval to initiate a chase, and ban high-speed pursuits and precision immobilization technique maneuvers in dense and residential areas during busy times of day.
- In the long term, advocates want to end high-speed pursuits altogether.
Flashback: State Sen. Gail Davenport (D-Jonesboro) said legislation she introduced this year would have placed more restrictions on when law enforcement could initiate pursuits, but it was met with pushback from Georgia sheriffs.
What they're saying: "GSP's pursuit policy isn't about public safety — it's about projecting power, no matter the cost to human life," said Devin Barrington-Ward of the National Police Accountability Project.
- "The Georgia State Patrol is operating with outdated policies that endanger the public and create a 'Dukes of Hazards'-like environment on our streets."
The other side: In a statement to Atlanta News First, Kemp spokesperson Garrison Douglas said it was "heartbreaking to see such a young life taken at the hands of a criminal seeking to evade justice."
- "And it's shameful that anyone would seek to diminish the actions of those who caused these deaths and shift blame onto those who put their lives on the line everyday to safeguard our communities."
What's next: Atlanta City Council member Liliana Bakhtiari said a city resolution urging the state to take action was forthcoming.
- Council returns from recess Monday.