Rantz: Two kids are dead thanks to irresponsible Democrat policy

A Democrat-backed law banning police from vehicular pursuits is as responsible for the death of two young children as was the driver involved in an alleged DUI crash in Sunnyside.

Washington State Patrol says a trooper witnessed Keith A. Goings driving 111 mph on Interstate 90. But due to the law banning vehicular pursuits, the trooper couldn’t pursue the 20-year-old suspect as he sped away. It was a decision the trooper was forced into by Democrats.

An hour later, Goings reportedly crashed into a vehicle, killing an 8-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy. He is suspected of driving under the influence.

Democrats allow dangerous criminals to roam free

Under the law, speeding alone is an insufficient reason to pursue a suspect. At the time, there was no reasonable suspicion that Goings was allegedly under the influence. Selah Police Chief Dan Christman told the Yakima Herald that it was “ridiculous” that they couldn’t pursue the driver.

Eventually, Goings allegedly crashed into a Nissan with the two children. A third 5-year-old passenger and a 23-year-old driver were also seriously injured according to a report. The victims were all related.

While Republican lawmakers are trying to rescind the vehicular pursuit ban, Democrats are refusing to budge. Their support of criminals has proven to be more important than protecting the public.

Democrats ignore the data

Under the current law, officers can only pursue under limited circumstances, including reasonable suspicion of DUI or the near-impossible probable cause standard that a violent crime had occurred.

As a consequence of the law, crimes involving stolen vehicles have skyrocketed. Not only are cars stolen, but they’re often used in smash and grab robberies where suspects drive through storefronts to quickly steal product or use the vehicles as getaway cars. As long as police don’t witness the suspects using violence during the crime, the criminals can drive away without even speeding, knowing an officer can’t pursue.

“Pretty much every day [suspects refuse to pull over], and I’m not exaggerating that,” Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney explained to the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH. “It’s not even about the pursuit. It’s about giving the crooks a free pass to commit crimes and drive away from the police.”

The Washington State Patrol said troopers encountered nearly 1,000 instances of suspects refusing to pull over last year.

Democrats smear those who support public safety

The data clearly shows a causal relationship between the law and a rise in crime. But Washington Democrats use a thoroughly debunked study by a left-wing partisan to claim the state is safer as a result of their bill. State Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Kirkland), a former light-on-crime prosecutor, refuses to schedule a hearing to discuss Republican attempts to roll back the legislation. And if you criticize the pursuit ban, you’re accused of spreading misinformation with “a false narrative, meant to instill fear.”

State Sen. Yasmin Trudeau (D-Tacoma) and Sharlett Mena (D-Tacoma) defended their deadly position in a Tacoma News Tribune editorial.

The anti-cop, pro-criminal duo falsely and bizarrely claimed that, “Changes in Washington’s pursuit law are being blamed as solely responsible for the national spike in crime, auto theft, and the overall safety of our communities.” They then conflate the issue, arguing there’s been a rise in murder rates in areas that haven’t banned vehicular pursuits, as if that exonerates their position.

Incapable of debate

No one has made the claim the pursuit ban is solely to blame for crime in Washington, let alone the nation. And no one is arguing that the vehicular ban is leading to more homicides.

Trudeau and Mena are arguing points no one is making because they can’t defend the bill on the merits. It’s why Trudeau, in particular, refuses to debate her stance, sticking with editorials where she isn’t faced with opposition. The pair know they can make unfounded and ignorant statements in the Tacoma News Tribune. It’s political cowardice.

But they’re wise to run from this debate. Their policy is leading to a rise in crime and now two children are dead. Democrats don’t want to be blamed for these deaths and hope to wash the blood from their hands in private, rather than face a public debate.

Listen to the Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast. Follow @JasonRantz on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Check back frequently for more news and analysis.

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