Dashcam video released Wednesday shows Sandy Springs officers leaning hard on their pursuit training, using four separate PIT maneuvers to shut down a high-speed chase that police say hit roughly 110 mph. The chase ends only after cruisers box in the fleeing car and repeatedly tap it into submission.
The tense clip, shared by WSB-TV, shows marked patrol vehicles nudging the suspect's car over and over until it spins out and slows enough for officers to move in. According to the station, Sandy Springs officers executed four PITs during the takedown, and the pursuit reached speeds near 110 mph before it was brought under control.
What a PIT maneuver looks like
The PIT - short for Precision Immobilization Technique - is a trained, deliberate strike to a fleeing vehicle's rear quarter panel that can cause it to rotate and come to a stop. The Sandy Springs Police Department lists a Traffic Unit and other specialty teams that handle high-risk vehicle stops and tactical interventions, according to the department's website.
Why PITs draw scrutiny
Even when they work as planned, PITs are treated as a use of force and seen as high-risk because pursuits can put everyone on the road in danger, from officers to bystanders. The Stanford Use-of-Force Project classifies PIT maneuvers as a significant intervention, and reporting by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has underscored Georgia's high number of pursuit-related deaths, a trend that has put chase policies under a brighter spotlight.
Local policing guidance calls for after-action reviews and training critiques after pursuits, according to the Georgia Municipal Association. The newly released video has added fresh fuel to the ongoing debate over when officers should call off or clamp down on a dangerous chase, with officials saying the pursuit report will go under the microscope as part of that review process.
