Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr.’s recommendation to reduce deadly police chases — deploying a device called a “stop stick” during every traffic stop — isn’t receiving a warm welcome from police chiefs and training officials across the county.
They say the idea of bending over to place the device as an officer approaches a stopped vehicle could expose them to an attack from inside the vehicle and question who would be responsible for damage to a tire if the driver leaves before the device has been removed.
Mr. Zappala called for local departments to consider using the devices, which can quickly flatten a vehicle’s tire, as part of his review of the Thanksgiving chase in East McKeesport and North Versailles that resulted in the death of three members of a family struck by a fleeing motorist. That crash occurred after police had stopped Demetrius Coleman, 22, of Homewood at a convenience store, but he fled while an officer was waiting for backup after he determined there was a warrant for a probation violation.
Police say Mr. Coleman was traveling around 100 mph before he crashed into another vehicle at the intersection at Routes 30 and 48. The fiery crash killed David Lee Bianco, his fiancee Kaylie Meininger and their 2-year-old daughter, Annika,
Mr. Coleman would have been unable to leave — or at least wouldn’t have gotten very far — if the officer had placed the stop stick in front of Mr. Coleman’s rear tire. The device is a plate about 2 feet long with hollow spikes sticking up that flatten the tire if it is run over.
The devices cost about $143 each, and Mr. Zappala offered to buy them for departments that want them.
But police officials say the devices cause logistical and safety concerns.
“It’s something we can do, but not something for every stop,” said Steve Hoffman, a master police officer and instructor at Pittsburgh’s police training academy. “I don’t think [stop sticks are] a fix-all.”
Officer Hoffman said that spending even a moment to place the device would be “a distraction” for the officer, who would have to look away from the driver and passengers in the vehicle. Deploying the device during a nighttime stop also would be problematic, he said, because officers are taught to approach with one hand on their weapon and the other holding a flashlight.
“Whoever [deploys stop sticks] takes a risk because they are taking their eyes off the subject,” Officer Hoffman said. “There’s a moment of distraction and anything can happen.”
Penn Hills Chief Howard Burton agreed.
“That doesn’t sound too safe to me, having an officer bend down to put that under the tire when they stop somebody,” he said. “What a lot of people don’t realize is it’s not always a controlled situation when you pull someone over, so you have to pay attention.”
Kenneth Truver, chief of the Castle Shannon police and chairman of the Western Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, said he wouldn’t recommend a blanket policy to use stop sticks because “every situation is unique.”
“I don’t think it’s very practical,” he said. “I think you have to have the right situation to deploy them.”
Lt. Duane Fisher of Mt. Lebanon said in his experience, few chases occur after a motorist has come to a stop. It’s more likely that a motorist flees when an officer turns on his flashing lights to notify the driver to stop, he said.
Also, it would be easy for a motorist to try to leave before an officer removes the stop stick, raising the issue of who’s responsible for paying for a tire repair or replacement, he said.
“People aren’t always happy to get a ticket from us and can leave quickly,” he said.
Ross police reviewed the stop sticks several years ago and decided not to buy them because the department had concerns about deploying them safely, Detective Brian Kohlhepp said.
“We’re obviously interested in any product that would be helpful,” he said. “We’d be happy to work with [Mr. Zappala] on this and see if there’s something we think we could use safely.”
Ed Blazina: eblazina@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1470.
First Published: December 4, 2016, 5:37 a.m.
