Ohio Sheriff's Department Adopts New Policy that Limits Chase for Felony Offenders

CLEVELAND—The Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department has changed the name of the controversial Downtown Safety Patrol unit and adopted a new vehicle pursuit policy, following months of public pressure after two high-speed chases resulted in the deaths of innocent bystanders.

Under the new rules, deputies may only chase suspects if they are believed to have committed one of 39 violent felonies, including murder, robbery, assault, burglary, domestic violence, arson and rape. They must also end a pursuit if they fail to get a supervisor’s permission, if the suspect’s identity is known, and they can be arrested later, or if they lose sight of the suspect, the policy says.

The 16-page policy also outlines more specific directives for when pursuits must be terminated, how they should be conducted, supervisory duties and after-action reporting. Details include:

• Deputies must use flashing lights and sirens
• Deputies cannot enter a pursuit if there is an arrested person in the back seat
• Deputies can request additional support from other units and should request aircraft assistance when possible
• Deputies may use ramming, road blocks and other maneuvers to stop a vehicle. They may not shoot at or from a moving vehicle, unless deadly force is justified.
• Supervisors must approve pursuits, conduct immediate post-pursuit debriefs and ensure a Major Incident Review Board evaluates each incident
• Deputies shall receive periodic pursuit training. Officers who are not current on training are not permitted to be involved in pursuits

The policy recognizes that pursuits “expose citizens, law enforcement officers and fleeing violators to the risk of serious injury or death,” and says that “deputies must not forget that the immediate apprehension of a suspect is generally not more important than the safety of the public and pursuing deputies.”

It notes that deputies and supervisors will not be criticized or disciplined for deciding not to engage in a pursuit because of the risk involved.

In a news release Monday, Sheriff Harold A. Pretel said the updates align the department with national policing standards and are designed to ensure the safety of both the public and law enforcement officers.

He noted they were formed with input from the Police Executive Research Forum, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board, along with county prosecutors, county council members, and community stakeholders.

“Our goal is to keep residents safe while building stronger connections with the communities we serve,” Pretel said in a statement.

The overhaul comes after a series of crashes involving the downtown unit – now renamed the Community Support Unit – killed three people, including two innocent bystanders. The crashes led to heightened scrutiny of the unit and of Deputy Kasey Loudermilk, who was involved in both pursuits and later was found to have lied during his background check.

County Council began reviewing the pursuit policy over the summer, led by Councilmember Sunny Simon and Council President Dale Miller, who called for a “much higher bar” on when deputies can chase fleeing drivers. “It can’t be some minor misdemeanor or garden variety traffic violation,” Miller previously told cleveland.com.

On Monday, Simon said she was pleased to see that the new policy included many of the changes she recommended, included reserving chases for high-level felony offenses.

“I’m glad that the sheriff and executive worked with council to formulate a policy that will maintain safety but minimize risk,” she said.

County Executive Chris Ronayne, who has defended the sheriff’s unit’s work amid calls to disband it, praised the revised policy as the “right approach” to balancing safety and accountability in the community.

“Safety is top of mind for everyone who lives, works, and visits Cuyahoga County,” he said. “That is why these changes are so important.”

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