Body camera footage released by Norwood Police shows the tense moments following a police pursuit on Sunday that wound through Downtown Cincinnati and ended in a crash in South Fairmount, injuring five people.
Norwood Police said the pursuit started at Victory Parkway and Sherman Avenue Sunday evening.
The chase quickly changed jurisdictions as the driver in a silver van ran northbound on Interstate 75, heading toward the Harrison Avenue exit. A Norwood officer ran the plate, and the van came up as stolen.
Soon after, the suspect approached Queen City Avenue without slowing down, blowing a red light. Officers continued the pursuit as the suspect drove recklessly.
Ultimately, the driver made a left turn on Grand Avenue, crashed into a pickup truck and then into a nearby building.
Officers assessed injuries at the scene, some of which were considered serious. One person was trapped in a vehicle after the collision.
The chase, crash and resulting injuries come in the wake of other police pursuits in the Tri-State. One high-profile chase occurred during rush hour on Aug. 7, a pursuit that started in Cincinnati, crossed the Roebling Bridge into Covington and ended in a deadly crash in Newport. Two bystanders, Ray and Gayle Laible, died at the scene, and the driver, Mason Meyer, was arrested and charged with two counts of murder, among others.
Following that crash, the WCPO I-Team examined dozens of police department police pursuit policies across the Tri-State.
While there's no uniform pursuit policy across Greater Cincinnati law enforcement agencies, that could soon change.
The Hamilton County Police Chiefs Association is taking a look right now at coming up with a standard procedure that focuses on arresting suspects without the need for a high speed pursuit which can put civilians lives at risk and, if a pursuit is necessary, for each department to follow the same protocols.
