The suit alleges that the officers who engaged in the pursuit that killed Andre Bassette Jr. violated department policies. Two of the officers have responded by claiming sovereign immunity.
Every time police officers activate their lights and sirens, punch their accelerators and pursue fleeing motorists in Virginia, I hope they remember people like Andre Bassette Jr. Or teenage cyclists like Geormond Morton. Or Gary Roberson, whom I once interviewed. All of these individuals were “third parties” – innocent pedestrians, drivers or their passengers who […] The post Allowing more high-speed police pursuits is unwarranted – and dangerous appeared first on Virginia Mercury.
In February, Rosa Bassette, represented by attorney Virginia Tehrani, filed an $18 million dollar lawsuit in Hopewell Circuit Court against the individual officers involved in the chase.
As some police across the country change policies to limit officers from engaging in potentially dangerous pursuits, Chesterfield Police has seen a dramatic increase in its number of annual chases.
Andre Bassette Jr. was killed in July after his car was struck by a driver involved in a police pursuit. An officer tried pulling over that driver for speeding, which is considered reckless driving.