Two dead after police chase of motorcyclist

[festus]

I'm not proud of what I'm about to say, but I've been in this situation.

A devious cop in a red XR6 was following too close for my comfort (did not realise he was a cop at this stage) as I entered Stratford on my bike one morning heading south. Thought to myself, what's this wanker in by boot, so just overtook a few cars, next thing, this cop is in the middle of Stratfords main street, red & blues under the grill flashing. I thought to myself, you sly prick, next thing, I'm legging it out of Stratford towards Eltham. It all happened so bloody quickly, I suddenly realised I was at the point of no return!. I gunned it to Eltham, lost the cop, but he hung in there for most of that stretch of road, most of the time on the opposite side of the road, at speeds well in excess of 200kph!.

 I truely believe this cop put others in more danger than I. He really got a kick out of the chase.

Again, don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not proud of what I did, but I too must question the cops pursuit tactics.

Festus

[Coldkiwi]

they didn't track you down through your rego?

 

[festus]

Funny you ask!.

After sitting it out behind a sports club in Eltham for half an hour, headed home to Wanganui.

First thing I did when I got home was ring a mate whose a cop. Asked him what I could expect. The cop definitely got my regno. I was certain of it.

Anyway he advised a couple of possible scenarios.

1. There will be a knock on the door in the near future (did not happen)

2. A letter requesting details of who was riding the bike on blaa blaa.....(never came)

About a month later, was talking to another mate whose a cop, he said he was on duty the day I got chased, the cops had a road block in Hawera (I bypassed this town) and just outside Wanganui. My regno & name was radio through along with reports that I had been clocked at 219kph.

Obviously this cop was doing this speed while in pursuit. Nothing ever came of it, and I reckon this may have been the reason.

Festus

 

[festus]

Also, forgot to mention missed the roadblock in Wanganui too!. You won't beleive this, but one of the cops waiting there I played rugby with and is also a mate!.

He gave me shit when I saw him, but he laughed it off.

From a cops point of view after talking to all three, most don't really give a shit if someone legs it. They were of the thought to "let them go", "get them later" attitude.

[merv]

.... and from my area there was this one wrapped up in the papers today

"Officer acquitted of injuring teenager
16 May 2003

A policeman accused of causing life-threatening injuries to a Porirua teenager last year was yesterday acquitted in the Wellington District Court on all charges.


The officer, who was granted permanent name suppression, had been charged with causing grievous bodily harm to Tamati Selave, then 18, by hitting him on the head with a torch as he chased him during a bungled arrest last July.

However, the jury accepted the officer's argument that it was an accident, that he was grabbing for Mr Selave with both hands and that Mr Selave spun and fell, unsupported, on to the road.

The Crown's case came down to the word of four witnesses, all of whom were described by the officer's lawyer, Mike Antunovic, as outright liars.

Mr Selave and his mother Ropine said yesterday that they accepted the jury's verdict.

"Sweet as. We did this the proper way and it has come down to him being found not guilty," Mr Selave said.

"I'm just happy that this is all off my mum's back. It's been a hard year for all of us."

Mr Selave spent five days on life support in a coma following the incident.

He said he was disappointed the case had taken so long to resolve and had been so difficult for the Crown witnesses.

He was still suffering from tiredness, but a piece of his skull removed for several months to relieve swelling was now back in place and he was given the all-clear by his doctor in February.

A job could be in pipeline and he was looking forward to getting on with his life with girlfriend Dezma Taueu.

The court heard that the couple had been drinking heavily with friends at a house-warming party in Cannons Creek when the police were called to a domestic argument in the street outside.

Mr Selave was arrested for shoving the officer in the chest when he tried to intervene in an argument, but ran away from the officer three times before ending up lying face up and severely injured on the road.

Mr Antunovic had said that the jury would not want to buy a used car off the Crown's two eyewitnesses, Henrietta Erskine and her partner Thomas Walker, let alone allow their word to affect a man's future.

They both described watching from their bedroom window as the officer chased Mr Selave into the middle of the road and hit him over the head with either a torch or a baton.

Mr Antunovic argued that the pair were inherently dishonest and were proven criminals who had been influenced by hearing partygoers shouting that the officer had hit Mr Selave with the torch.

"They have seized on this opportunity to strike back (at the police), influenced by their own criminal way of life."

Judge John Dalmer said the officer had the right to go about his job without being embarrassed by references to the court case or having it interfere with his ability to do his job.

He permanently suppressed his name and other identifying features of his job."

[bluninja]

Slightly off tack I guess....I was on a jury at an inquest....the reporting of the case in the media (I read after the verdict) was totally at odds with the actual evidence presented. Given that the New York times have just parted company with a journalist that just made things up, how can we even believe the impartiality of the journos. Who can you believe????

I used to think the law was black and white, with just grey areas when it came to sentencing. Now I consider it a political process, where justice and law take second place to public opinion, cost, and expediency.

TTFN

[Motu]

So,confession time is it? Here's one from many years ago,commuting on a mere 160cc.Cleaning up the cars down one side of the road I spotted a bike cop in a side street,he fired up and moved out.Fair cop I thought,but you got to catch me first! I wasn't running away - just not stopping.We went for some time until I stopped at some lights - as I said,I was not doing a runner,just being difficult.

He caught me just as the lights turned green and I pulled over.He got off his bike and came over - he had some difficulty talking,out of breath like he had been running - or Pamela Anderson had said,shall we go into the bedroom now?.''I don't know how fast you were going mate,but I was doing 100mph and couldn't reel you in'' then he got out his ticket book,but his hands were shaking so much he couldn't even open it,let alone write in it.''just keep the speed down next time ok?''

I haven't tried to run much,but one time I did 6 bloody cars surrounded me!

[SPman]

Originally posted by Motu

I haven't tried to run much,but one time I did 6 bloody cars surrounded me!

Tell us more.......

Hey, these true confessions are fun

 

 

[Motu]

Well,I was hooking it through the back streets of Ponsonby trying to loose a cop on a CB750 - he was really going for it - coming out of the turns in the gutter on the wrong side of the road! The bastard was gaining too! Next thing the streets are just covered in cop cars - I had nowhere to go.They had been staking out the Glue Pot for a drink/drive bust,and somehow he must of radioed ahead - he was a better rider than I had bargand for.Some of those bike cops in the 70s were damn good riders.

[BigB]

Hi Guys

Just want to add my two bits, I don't agree with him doing a runner and my thoughts are with the girls family, but seeing the results on tv I keep asking myself why he crashed where he did, over slight brow flat sweeping left hander.

Having lived in the Whangeri (my olds still live there) I have travelled that same road, corner many times at speed with no problems.

We'll went up that way at the weekend two up and having now been over the road I wonder how much the condition of the road was a facter!!!. There are now road work signs up, no speed restrictions (don't think they were there at the time of the accident, no mention in reports??) The whole left hand side of the road has subsided about 3-4 inchs all the way out to the white line. We went over it at about 100kph and that was bad enough bounced sideways, let alone going over it at 140kph, its no wonder he lost control and crossed the centre line.

I'm not trying to justify what he did but I think the road condition played a major part in what happened. Even if he wasn't being chased anyone tring to take that corner at speed in the current condition is going to have problems.

Once again bad road conditions may have played there part in a tragic accident.

[Mitch]

Originally posted by SPman
Mithch -from the photo in the Herald it looked like a top yoke mounted handlebar - Speed Triple

SPman I'm pretty damn impressed!!  Do you want a job? 

[SPman]

Originally posted by Mitch
SPman I'm pretty damn impressed!!  Do you want a job? 

Yes please. One where I get sack loads of cash for doing SFA, 2 days a week and the rest of the time supplied with new bikes to ride as far and hard as I can.

[Redstar]

an 18 year old girl died she has no knowledge of the reasons or the rationals. she cares not about the make of the bike or the right or wrong of the chase. she is dead and the bike hit he car not the other way around. I do mean it was not a proud moment for us and I still think the cops were only doing what they do.
heaven forbid I ever do the same.
You have to know when to back off.

[bluninja]

Yes it's sad Redstar. But do you think the biker intentionally hit the car? Crashes happen everyday, including some that kill or maim people. Should I hang my head in shame everytime a bike hits a car? or even when a car (I do drive them) hits a pedestrian (or 2 in a service station)? I think not.

I don't accept any guilt or shame from other peoples actions, though I do accept that actions of other people can have an impact on my freedoms, health, and income. In this case I want to know the truth (unlikely I know) of the events leading to this tragedy. With that information I am then in a position to make choices on what actions (if any) I take as a result.

If there was no police chase this would be looked on as a tragic accident where rider error, rider skill, speed, and road condition would have been the considered factors. The police chase has muddied the waters, and IS a factor in this accident.

TTFN

[Kwaka-Kid]

redstar ive been arguing for the same side as you in the other thread for the past few weeks or whatever...

You just cant blame the cops for this girls death.. Relate it to somthing... i choose this: Can i blame The ZXR400 ahead of me on pukekohe that day for my crash? because of him being ahead of my it certainly, CERTAINLY did change my decisions and make me take that front corner much different to my usual.. so does this mean i can ask him for 50% of my repair bill? piss off! is exactly what hed tell me.. which is exactly what i think the police should tell you people blind enough to blame them for this girls death, in any size.

During the whole chase.. he had every opportunity to pull over.. he was never forced into running, he chose to up the stakes and risk it all, and he lost it all.  Screw him, its all part of natures weaning out process... another headless chook off the streets unfortunatly at the cost of an innocent motorist (and we cant change this now.. and trying to put irrational things in place to stop this from ever happening again is just not possible with the ways of today)

Understand its only very very very ocasionally that somthing like this happens aswell.   - Dont get lost in the details of the chase.. rather step back and look at it generally... You cannot blame the police for chasing... its what they are there to do, and happily i help pay them to

Again. sorry to the poor girl -who my mate knew and was in the same youth group as.