Grassroots organization holds walk protesting police pursuits in St. Louis City, County

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - A grassroots organization held a walk Tuesday rallying for St. Louis-area police departments to examine and reform pursuit policies.

The organization is called #StopTheChase. Organizer Constance Lee started the organization after her brother LaLark Gouse died in a crash in February 2020 in Ferguson. Lee told News 4 that she and other witnesses believe an unmarked police car was chasing a car her brother was in, who was one of four individuals in the car. Another individual in the car also died.

News 4 reached out to the Ferguson Police Department but hear back. As of Tuesday night, it appears Ferguson PD never confirmed or denied if the vehicle belonged to the department.

“My own family has been affected by this,” Lee said. “But they didn’t tell me it was a chase. Where is that vehicle? Where is that car? It’s unmarked.”

Calls for pursuit policy reform have been growing since seven innocent drivers were killed in a span of 18 days from late April to early May. Individuals fleeing from police crashed into the victims.

“Emotionally, I’m traumatized from hearing it,” Lee added. “I’ve created the #StopTheChase sticker, and I put it on my bumper.”

The NAACP recently met with St. Louis County and City police departments about the incidents. Both departments wouldn’t call some of the attempted stops pursuits or chases.

The NAACP recently told News 4 the U.S. Justice Department will be joining the talks about reform.

“Most individuals who flee the police were going to flee whether they were pursued or not,” said Scott Decker, a former criminology professor who spent decades teaching at the University of Missouri St. Louis (UMSL) and Arizona State University.

Decker works as a consultant and has experience working with departments across the country, including the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD).

“My suspicion is that the pursuit policy, as is the case with most departments, hasn’t had a full thorough review in the last several years. In the end, this is a public safety, not simply a police decision.”

St. Louis County Police Chief Kenneth Gregory sent News 4 the following statement:

“We recognize the danger to both our officers and the public when violent criminals must be apprehended and refuse to stop for officers. The St. Louis County Police Department is open to new technology which may reduce the number of police pursuits our officers engage in. The safety and well-being of our community is of the utmost importance in the enforcement of our laws.”

SLMPD sent News 4 the following statement:

“Protecting the public is always a top priority for the Department, and we are willing to meet with community partners to discuss how our policies can best reflect our commitment to public safety. However, as we have mentioned, the recent fatal accident was not the result of a police pursuit.”

The NAACP expects to share the outcome of the meeting with both police departments in the coming weeks.

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