Son dead after Father reports stolen vehicle; police chase

This didn't end well for anybody.

Preface: It's a tragic loss of life, but the son had to have completely lost his mind to respond to police the way he did. I get that the father is devastated, but the facts kinda speak for themselves.

http://reason.com/blog/2013/11/07/never-call-the-cops-unless-you-want-some

James Comstock refused to buy a pack of cigarettes for his 19-year-old son, Tyler, and now he’s planning his son’s funeral.
“He took off with my truck. I call the police, and they kill him,” James Comstock told The Des Moines Register on Tuesday. “It was over a damn pack of cigarettes. I wouldn’t buy him none.
“And I lose my son for that.”
Comstock said he’s outraged police shot and killed his son Monday morning on Iowa State University’s campus.
Police began pursuing Tyler Comstock of Boone after his father reported the truck stolen. The truck belonged to a lawn care company.
Ames Police Officer Adam McPherson pursued Comstock into the heart of ISU’s campus. During the chase, Comstock rammed McPherson’s car. The truck eventually stopped, but Comstock revved the engine and refused orders to turn it off.
McPherson fired six shots into the truck. Comstock died from two gunshot wounds, according to the Iowa state medical examiner’s office.
James Comstock said his son was not carrying a weapon.

There is pretty damning dashcam video: http://www.kcci.com/news/central-iowa/dashcam-video-shows-ames-chase-shooting/-/9357080/22852990/-/3dg51cz/-/index.html

and the Dispatch audio: http://desmoinesregister.com/videonetwork/2808789798001

While the audio points out there were suggestions to back off pursuit, that suggestion comes after he's already rammed the officer and ran the red light, as the cop is trying to resume visual. The second suggestion to back off comes while the 2 vehicles are colliding the 2nd time. Whatever the chain of command, this comes as a suggestion not an order.

High speed pursuits are definitely a lethal issue in themselves. This could have ended at the 2nd traffic light, violently. Pedestrians are seen in the line of fire too, one was in the crosswalk while the SUV was blowing through, just before he pulls into the grass.

Loses the trailer, equipment flying everywhere, and by the time the shots are fired (I counted 7) the SUV is completely pounded up. The son still chooses to ram the officer's vehicle.

Whatever the rationale, it would be nice if there were better ways to prevent these types of pursuits. In this case, it would have been possible to do so given the circumstances: this was the father's son. Other circumstances, like real GTA's, or especially Amber Alerts, you wouldn't really have a safe option to let the suspect flee: the crime is gotten away with or worse, someone is killed anyway (especially in the case of the Amber alert). Some experiments are going on in a Florida police dept. I think out in Orlando/Tampa etc. where cars are going to be armed with tracking-pods - think the batmobile. Problem is these are still highly experimental and have a very low success rate of fire and attach, even on a parked test target. And that still doesn't eliminate the dangers or prevent the crime.

Hate to say it but I see a future where a cop can send a lockout code to your registered vehicle to kill the engine and clamp the brake discs - like they already can to their own bait-cars.