Perils of police at high speeds spur calls for more reform
By MICHAEL TARM AP Legal Affairs Writer
CHICAGO (AP) — Crashes involving Chicago police vehicles that killed retired teacher Verona Gunn last year and a young mother this month highlight the dangers of police speeding to crime scenes or during car chases. Gunn’s son says it’s a police reform issue that’s not getting the same attention as officers’ use of excessive force. Audio obtained by The Associated Press of police radio transmissions reveal that speeding officers were repeatedly told by a dispatcher to slow down before the crash that killed 84-year-old Verona Gunn. The Bureau of Justice Statistics says more than 7,000 people were killed in police-related crashes in the U.S. from 1996 to 2015.