City Council calls for high-speed pursuit review after bystander's death

• Troopers were involved in more than 6,700 vehicle pursuits between 2019 and 2023, according to a 2024 AJC investigation. More than half of those chases ended in crashes that caused injuries and deaths.

Zoom in: The largely symbolic resolution approved at Monday's City Council meeting asks Atlanta Police Department Chief Darin Schierbaum to produce a report outlining policy changes to increase "accountability around inter-agency pursuits."

• The council also urged GSP to pursue suspects involved only in violent felonies and to seek a supervisor's approval for the chases.
• Controversial PIT maneuvers, where a squad car bumps a fleeing suspect's vehicle to cause a spinout, would be prohibited in dense areas, busy roads, residential neighborhoods and places with lots of pedestrians.

Dickens, they add, should advocate for these reforms.

What they're saying: "I understand the weight of [GSP's] job, but there needs to be some oversight," Kate Schoenke, Cooper's mom, told council members.

• "There is no other option for this sort of chase except a crash," said Schoenke, who's raised more than $30,000 to fund advocacy efforts on the state level. "It's not the first time this has happened. I'd love [for] it to be the last."

By the numbers: More than 1,900 people were injured in crashes involving GSP chases and 63 were killed from 2019 to 2023.

The other side: In a statement, GSP Capt. Crystal Zion told Axios that the agency's Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team and the Office of Professional Standards are reviewing the incident.

• The pursuit policy, she said, "is grounded in law, shaped by training, and guided by a clear standard that actions be objectively reasonable."
• The suspect who was being pursued, Faduma Mohamed, is responsible for the incident, she said. "Compliance with lawful instructions is the single act that would prevent nearly all pursuits and use-of-force encounters."

Yes, but: The legislation is a request, not a command. Whether GSP actually changes policies depends on leadership and Gov. Brian Kemp.

• Spokespersons for the law enforcement agency and governor did not return Axios' requests for comment.