WYANDOTTE, Mich. – When drivers flee police during a traffic stop it puts themselves, officers and innocent bystanders in danger.
Wyandotte police said people fleeing traffic stops is happening with alarming regularity.
Body camera footage from Wyandotte police shows a driver take off after being surrounded by police at gunpoint, dragging an officer with their vehicle.
Since May, 40 people stopped by Wyandotte police have sped away. In one particular incident the driver crashed the vehicle and then tried to flee the scene on foot.
“More people are fleeing for minor crimes because they know there is no consequence for running,” Wyandotte Police Department’s Deputy Chief Archie Hamilton said. “There is really no consequence for fleeing. It is a 5-year felony, but in most cases someone found guilty of fleeing and eluding -- they’re given probation.”
The Wayne County Prosecutor is charging people who flee with that 5-year felony, but police said judges are simply not sending people to jail for it.
Many Metro Detroit police departments are also choosing not to pursue people who flee because it is, in most cases, just too dangerous.
Wyandotte police said people know this and they know that if they get stopped and they run they won’t go to jail.
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