Man Arrested After Chasing Trooper
Phoenix, Ariz. — A man was arrested for excessive speed after he chased a trooper in his fully marked police car at 90 MPH on US 60.
On August 2, 2016, at about 9:40 a.m., an Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Trooper noticed a car closely following him at 80 MPH as he patrolled US 60 in the east-valley. Alarmed at the possible motives of the driver, the trooper slowed down and then sped up to 90 MPH while activating his emergency lights in an attempt to assess the driver’s behavior and get the driver to stop following him. Eventually, the trooper was able to maneuver behind the vehicle and finally pulled the driver over still not knowing the motives behind his erratic driving behavior. Following the stop, the trooper arrested him for criminal speeding.
When confronted by the trooper, the driver said he was pursuing and video-taping the trooper to document the trooper’s driving above the speed limit while seemingly not responding to anything. The driver was arrested without incident and booked into the Maricopa County Jail.
Due to traffic speeds on the valley freeways, troopers routinely have to travel at speeds greater than the posted speed limit for routine patrol duties including monitoring traffic and when responding to calls for service. “It is not realistic to believe troopers can effectively do their jobs and not speed”, says Lt. Colonel Daniel Lugo, Highway Patrol Division Commander. “However, troopers are held accountable to drive with due regard for other motorists. Any citizen who believes a trooper is driving without such consideration should let us know as soon as possible.”
If you believe a trooper is driving negligently, do not try to take the law into your own hands, call AZDPS and report the driving behavior so it can be addressed by the trooper’s supervisor. “In light of recent attacks against law enforcement and anti-police rhetoric prevalent in our society today, troopers are on guard at all times and from all potential and perceived threats,” says Colonel Frank Milstead, Director of the Department of Public Safety. “Recently, we have seen people recording violent acts against law enforcement officers and we even remember video of the murder of a news reporter and cameraman during a live broadcast in an effort by the perpetrator to make a headline. What happened in this circumstance is very unfortunate and would have ended much differently had cooler heads prevailed.”
