Knowing When To Use TVIs Essential For OHP During Pursuits

<p>The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said they know when to use tactical maneuvers to stop a dangerous pursuit, but also when to pull back from a chase.</p>

Tuesday, February 2nd 2016, 7:50 pm

By: Tess Maune

Knowing When To Use TVIs Essential For OHP During Pursuits

Tuesday morning, after a chase during rush hour, Tulsa police said they caught a suspected truck thief who got out of prison only about a month ago.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol used a tactical maneuver to stop him. Troopers say they know when to use the tool to stop a dangerous pursuit, but also when to pull back from a chase.

There have been a few more chases than normal lately. Troopers say that's a coincidence because it's not something they want to do, but something they have to do to keep the public safe.

Each time a chase plays out from the air, or from a dashcam, it looks like a scene from a movie.

But, OHP Public Assistance Officer, Trooper Dwight Durant, said, in real life, tactical vehicle interventions bring real risks.

“They’re very dangerous,” he said. “We could get hurt. We've seen our partners hurt in these TVIs, so it's not something that we are eager to go out and do.”

Tuesday morning, Durant said a trooper used a TVI in a parking lot to stop a man who had led officers on a chase after stealing a pickup from QuikTrip.

“It was a success. Nobody was hurt and bad guy’s in jail and the owner of the pickup got his truck back,” Durant said.

Not every chase will end with a TVI - speed, location, traffic and the type of roadway are just a few factors to be considered during a chase.

They're hard to predict and can change at a moment’s notice; something Durant knows about first hand.

Back in November, he ended a pursuit with a shooting suspect. It took him three tries to stop the truck.

“I'm running through my head, 'He's gonna come out with a gun.' When the dust settles, when the vehicles come to a stop...we've got a whole new situation,” said Durant.

It didn't end that way for Durant - the suspect was taken into custody.

But two weeks ago, when a trooper ended a chase involving an armed robbery suspect who had killed one person and shot another, it ended in a gunfight and the suspect dead.

Durant said, “They're not fun, but we have a job to do. We have taken an oath to protect the citizens of Oklahoma and that's just what we do.”

Durant said a TVI doesn't work in every situation. He said some chases, like ones that begin with someone who won't stop for speeding, will be called off because they’re not worth the risk.

The TVI is more likely to be used when the person on the run has committed a violent crime.