Source: nbcmiami.com
A speeding car fleeing police slammed into a crowded bar early Saturday, killing four people and injuring 11 in a historic district of Tampa, Florida, known for its nightlife and tourists.
An air patrol unit with the Tampa Police Department spotted the car driving recklessly on a freeway at about 12:40 a.m. After police said the silver sedan had been seen street racing in another neighborhood, according to a police department statement.
Highway patrol officers “disengaged” as the vehicle sped toward the historic Ybor City district near downtown, Tampa police said. Ultimately the driver lost control of the car and hit more than a dozen people outside the bar, police said.
Three victims died at the scene and a fourth victim died at a hospital. As of Saturday morning, a fifth victim was hospitalized in critical condition, and eight additional victims were being treated at local hospitals but were listed as stable, police said.
Officers identified the suspect as 22-year-old Silas Sampson, who was booked Saturday and is being held at the Hillsborough County Jail.
In recent years, some states and local agencies have pushed to restrict the use of high-speed car chases to protect both civilians and officers. Following a rise in fatalities, a 2023 study funded by the U.S. Department of Justice called for police chases to be rarely used, noting that the danger to suspects, officers and bystanders often outweighs the immediate need to take someone into custody.
Still, Florida has doubled down on the tactics, with the state’s highway patrol amending its policies to loosen limitations on the use of car chases and PIT maneuvers. The Justice Department-backed report described those tactics as “high-risk” and “controversial.”
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