Robert Ellis, the man running from the police in the red Ford Ranger, is a purse thief. He had been caught on video at multiple gas stations stealing purses out of vehicles while the vehicle owners were pumping gas.

 

Earlier in the day Kentuckiana law enforcement had put out a warning to be on the lookout for Ellis and his red pickup in connection with the purse thefts. He was stopped by Shively police in southwest Louisville, but took off in his truck and led Louisville Metro Police and Indiana State Police on a 40 minute pursuit, most of which was captured on video by WLKY's helicopter news crew.

 

The chase continued into Indiana and ended in a Sellersburg, IN cornfield. There were 12 purses found in Ellis' pickup after the chase ended.

 

So, I have two questions:

 

1) Is a purse thief with wanted for non-violent thefts really worth endangering the public with a 40 minute high-speed pursuit?

 

2) There was never any report of Ellis having a weapon, and in the news coverage and police statements I have seen there was no report of any weapon being recovered. Was the beat-down at the hands of the 15+ police officers visible at the end of the pursuit really justified?

 

 

Fast forward to the 30:00 minute mark in the video for the end of the pursuit and the ensuing apprehension.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vOPiGzukOM

I was under the impression that LMPD didnt partake in chases for certain things... Maybe they changed that again.

 

Excessive force, without question. Zero justification.

1) Is a purse thief with wanted for non-violent thefts really worth endangering the public with a 40 minute high-speed pursuit?

Well they knew he was a thief and if the purse was grabbed from you would you consider that non-violent? Should we just always let people that can run or drive faster than the police get away with crimes because we choose not to chase them? Many officers have died over the years in pursuits, they don't do it for kicks they do it to apprehend CRIMINALS.

 

"It made it for a very extreme and a very tense situation," said Sgt. Jerry Goodin, of the Indiana State Police. "Obviously we discussed several times whether we should end the pursuit or not end the pursuit. But knowing that it was a felon in the vehicle we felt like that person needed to put apprehended."

 

2) There was never any report of Ellis having a weapon, and in the news coverage and police statements I have seen there was no report of any weapon being recovered. Was the beat-down at the hands of the 15+ police officers visible at the end of the pursuit really justified?

Beat-Down by 15 officers...really? At most 4 or 5 were in close enough proximity to even gets hands on him. There is no way of knowing how much he was punching, kicking and resisting once he was pulled out of the truck. If the officer kicking him was out of line I'm sure the LMP will handle it.

I was under the impression that LMPD didnt partake in chases for certain things... Maybe they changed that again.

 

Excessive force, without question. Zero justification.

 

Excessive Force? Possibly, but neither of us can see what he is doing. If he's not resisting then that one officer is in a lot of trouble, but again we can't see what he's doing when they start to punch him or kick at him. If he is still fighting or grabbing for an officers weapon then it would be justified to strike him...but we can't tell by one video.

Excessive Force? Possibly, but neither of us can see what he is doing. If he's not resisting then that one officer is in a lot of trouble, but again we can't see what he's doing when they start to punch him or kick at him. If he is still fighting or grabbing for an officers weapon then it would be justified to strike him...but we can't tell by one video.

 

What would it take for you to say it wasn't justified?

Without knowing what kind of fight the guy was putting up against the officers it's hard to say. If he just had his hands up trying to protect himself then it probably falls into the "excessive" category. My guess is the officers were jacked up from the chase and their adrenaline was flowing pretty hard(not justifying - just explaining a possible reason). It really looked like one guy was doing the beating.

 

The chase/no chase decision is always an interesting debate. If an officer's cruiser crashed into a bystander and/or their car LMPD would have a tough sell. Not an easy call IMO.

What would it take for you to say it wasn't justified?

 

If he wasn't resisting in any way.

 

I'm not saying this was totally Justified. The officer that looked to be kicking him, I think will have a lot of explaining to do and very well could face some sort of discipline.

 

But has we have learned over and over on this site, the "Hot Takes" right when something happens are always ill informed and more often than not wrong.

Did anyone see how the one LMP cruiser got hit on the side hard enough that the door wouldn't open. You can see damage all down the drivers side, was that caused by the truck or does it show on the video?

Without knowing what kind of fight the guy was putting up against the officers it's hard to say. If he just had his hands up trying to protect himself then it probably falls into the "excessive" category. My guess is the officers were jacked up from the chase and their adrenaline was flowing pretty hard(not justifying - just explaining a possible reason). It really looked like one guy was doing the beating.

 

The chase/no chase decision is always an interesting debate. If an officer's cruiser crashed into a bystander and/or their car LMPD would have a tough sell. Not an easy call IMO.

 

What happened here is LMPD officers were jacked up on the pursuit because of the recent loss of Officer Nick Rodman from a pursuit. They caught this dude and let their frustrations out on him.

If he wasn't resisting in any way.

 

I'm not saying this was totally Justified. The officer that looked to be kicking him, I think will have a lot of explaining to do and very well could face some sort of discipline.

 

But has we have learned over and over on this site, the "Hot Takes" right when something happens are always ill informed and more often than not wrong.

 

They were going to work on this guy. This is a beat down, not just roughing him up a little, they jumped this dude.

 

Pull him out of the car, throw him on the ground, fine. He probably deserves that. But this is overkill, and outside of him pulling a weapon on them, I can't see how this is at all justified. Even then, it's a hard sell.

They were going to work on this guy. This is a beat down, not just roughing him up a little, they jumped this dude.

 

Pull him out of the car, throw him on the ground, fine. He probably deserves that. But this is overkill, and outside of him pulling a weapon on them, I can't see how this is at all justified. Even then, it's a hard sell.

 

I agree, unless he is laying there trying to fight back (which would be stupid), but he wouldn't be the first idiot that thought "I'm at least going to get my shots in on them before they take me in."

1) Is a purse thief with wanted for non-violent thefts really worth endangering the public with a 40 minute high-speed pursuit?

Well they knew he was a thief and if the purse was grabbed from you would you consider that non-violent? Should we just always let people that can run or drive faster than the police get away with crimes because we choose not to chase them? Many officers have died over the years in pursuits, they don't do it for kicks they do it to apprehend CRIMINALS.

 

"It made it for a very extreme and a very tense situation," said Sgt. Jerry Goodin, of the Indiana State Police. "Obviously we discussed several times whether we should end the pursuit or not end the pursuit. But knowing that it was a felon in the vehicle we felt like that person needed to put apprehended."

 

2) There was never any report of Ellis having a weapon, and in the news coverage and police statements I have seen there was no report of any weapon being recovered. Was the beat-down at the hands of the 15+ police officers visible at the end of the pursuit really justified?

Beat-Down by 15 officers...really? At most 4 or 5 were in close enough proximity to even gets hands on him. There is no way of knowing how much he was punching, kicking and resisting once he was pulled out of the truck. If the officer kicking him was out of line I'm sure the LMP will handle it.

 

The purses were taken out of the car while the drivers were standing outside of the car pumping gas. No snatching away from anyone...just opening the passenger door, quickly grabbing the purse, an running. I would not call that violent. I've had tools taken out of my truck while I was only yards away on a jobsite. I don't see that as violent.

 

And I should have chosen my words better. I did not intend to say that he was beaten down by 15+ officers. He clearly was not. There were 15+ officers surrounding him during the apprehension...but there were only maybe 3 or 4 officers getting their whacks in.

The purses were taken out of the car while the drivers were standing outside of the car pumping gas. No snatching away from anyone...just opening the passenger door, quickly grabbing the purse, an running. I would not call that violent. I've had tools taken out of my truck while I was only yards away on a jobsite. I don't see that as violent.

 

And I should have chosen my words better. I did not intend to say that he was beaten down by 15+ officers. He clearly was not. There were 15+ officers surrounding him during the apprehension...but there were only maybe 3 or 4 officers getting their whacks in.

 

I had no idea how the purses were stolen, while not violent per se these very well were still felonies and not just misdemeanors.

I had no idea how the purses were stolen, while not violent per se these very well were still felonies and not just misdemeanors.

 

Some would argue a non-violent purse thief being chased by 8 cruisers for an hour at sometimes high speeds is not worth the risk to the officers nor citizens. I can see that argument.

Some would argue a non-violent purse thief being chased by 8 cruisers for an hour at sometimes high speeds is not worth the risk to the officers nor citizens. I can see that argument.

 

That's absolutely where I'm at on this one.