The Oklahoma Highway Patrol has led seven vehicle chases over the last year resulting in eight deaths.
Two who died were uninvolved motorists, and the latest to die was one of the agency’s lieutenants, the Tulsa World reported.
All actions were deemed to be within policy by the Department of Public Safety, according to records.
DPS Commissioner Rusty Rhoades said he didn’t find anything that was concerning after reviewing trooper actions in those fatal pursuits. He also noted that courts have ruled authorities aren’t responsible for what violators do in chases.
“When you look at the time frame that you just mentioned, there’s no technical reason or operational reason for that,” Rhoades said.
But troopers involved in the July death of Lt. Heath Meyer and those who reviewed the case emphasized the pursuit’s “extreme danger” and its “reckless nature.”
Documents also show a secondary trooper tried to overtake the lead trooper when the crash occurred. The action is prohibited in policies of Tulsa County’s two largest law enforcement agencies unless permission is given in advance.
Rhoades declined to comment on whether the agency prohibits such maneuvers. An exemption specific only to DPS allows the Highway Patrol to keep secret items of a “tactical nature.”
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