Woman's death leads to review of HPD chase policy

A chase that involved three police cars and a suspected vehicle thief led to the death of an innocent 24-year-old woman in a residential area of southeast Houston yesterday. The woman, Rikki Danielle Sanchez, was killed instantly when the car that was being chased crashed into her pickup, sending her "flying" into a brick home. Afterwards, the suspect resisted arrest until a policeman shocked him with a Taser. He was taken to Memorial Hermann with minor injuries and charged with felony murder for Sanchez's death.

The victim's father criticized the police for engaging in an "unnecessary chase," during which one witness believes the cars were going "70, 80, or 100 miles per hour." The police investigation indicates that the speeds were actually more moderate, around 30 or 40 mph. The victim's father expressed his feelings about the chase in no uncertain terms: he said that he "would have much preferred they let the stolen car go about its way with the young punk inside of it," and was also dismayed that police would engage in a chase in a neighborhood where schools are nearby.

The incident calls into question HPD's chase policy, which currently instructs officers to consider a number of factors, including the severity of the crime, the potential risk to citizens, traffic conditions, the weather, the driving behavior of the suspect and the mechanical condition of their patrol cars. A new policy was proposed by Police Chief Harold Hurtt last year, which would not allow officers to pursue suspects of non-felony offenses, but many believed this would be an invitation to criminals to flee from officers. Mayor White has said that HPD should constantly review its policies based on experiences and the actions of other large forces across the country. It is unclear at this point whether the officers involved in yesterday's chase were in violation of department policy.