Another Police Chase Kills Another Innocent Person–the Wife of Atlanta Braves Trainer Jeff Porter

Too familiar is this week’s tragic story of how a police cruiser struck an innocent motorist and caused the death of Kathy Porter, wife of Atlanta Braves Head Athletic Trainer Jeff Porter.
Late Saturday afternoon, the Porters were among many fans driving to the Chick-fil-A bowl in downtown Atlanta–a short distance from the Braves’ home at Turner Field. A Georgia State Patrol cruiser–reportedly speeding on city streets to join a chase of a motorcyclist on I-20– crashed into the Porters’ Ford Expedition on the passenger side.
The Porters’ tragedy is one of a seemingly endless string of deaths of innocent persons caused by police pursuits–too often chasing another motorist simply for a minor infraction.
We have written for years of the needless dangers to the public of high speed police chases, and how following proper police procedures can avoid causing unnecessary deaths of innocent persons. Key questions here include why stopping a motorcyclist on I-20 was worth risking the lives of families driving to a football game.
A police chase of a suspect for a non-violent act too often results in what is effectively the death penalty for an innocent person. Even though the lesson should have been learned from many past examples (including cases we have had to litigate), the needless carnage somehow continues.
Like all of our community in Atlanta, our thoughts and prayers are with the Porter family.