Why You Should Never Run From The Police
If you’ve ever seen a police chase on TV, you might be tempted to think that the best way to avoid getting caught is to run away as fast as possible. After all, the bad guys always seem to get away, right?
WRONG!
In reality, running from the police is almost always a bad idea. You won’t be doing yourself any favors by trying to outrun the cops – in fact, you’re likely to make things worse for yourself if you try.
Need more convincing? Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why running from the police is one of the worst ways to try to avoid getting in trouble with the law.
6 reasons why you shouldn’t run from the police
1. They’ll catch you eventually
No matter how fast you think you are, the police will eventually catch up to you if you’re running away from them. They have radios and other technology that allows them to call for backup, so even if you manage to lose the officers who are chasing you, more will be on their way soon enough.
And even if they don’t catch you that day, week, or month, they’ll eventually find you. The police have a lot of resources at their disposal, and they’re good at tracking people down. Sooner or later, they’ll catch up to you. So, why waste your time and energy?
2. Running makes you look guilty, even if you’re not
If you run from the police, they’re going to assume that you’re guilty of something. Even if you’re innocent, it’s going to be hard to convince them of that when you’ve just made a break for it.
Innocent people who have nothing to hide don’t usually feel the need to run away from the police; they’d much rather get the misunderstanding sorted out as quickly as possible so that they can get on with their day.
By running, you’re giving the police a reason to believe that you might be guilty of something – if not the thing they’ve stopped you for, then something else. And that’s going to make it more likely that they’ll detain, arrest, or search you.
3. You could have an accident
When you’re running from the police, there’s a good chance that you’re going to wind up in a dangerous situation. After all, you’re not exactly thinking clearly when you’re running for your life.
You could, for example, run into oncoming traffic or trip and fall, both of which could result in serious injury or even death.
4. You could get shot
In some states, it’s legal for the police to shoot at suspects who are trying to flee. In others, it’s not as clear-cut – but either way, you don’t want to give them a reason to shoot at you.
If the police feel like their lives are in danger, or if they think you might be a threat to public safety, they could open fire. In many cases, they’re trained to shoot to kill, not to wound. So, if you’re running away from the police, there’s a good chance you could be shot and killed.
5. It’s a crime to run from the police
If the police have come to arrest or detain you, or if they’re trying to question you about a crime, it’s actually against the law to run away from them. This is called evading arrest.
You’ll gain an extra charge – and, potentially, more time in jail – on top of whatever it is the police were originally trying to arrest you for.
6. You could be liable for the damage or harm they cause during the chase
If during the chase the police wind up damaging property or hurting someone, you could be held liable. In some states, you could even be charged with a felony if someone is killed as a result of the chase.
Manslaughter, vehicular homicide, and other charges have been filed against people who’ve led the police on a chase, even if they weren’t the ones driving the car.
This might seem unfair, but it’s the law in many states. So, if you’re thinking about running from the police, keep in mind that you could be held responsible for any damage or harm they cause during the chase.
Conclusion
Most people would probably agree that getting arrested is not a fun experience. But trust us, it’s better than getting caught after running from the police!
If you find yourself in a situation where the cops are trying to arrest you, our advice is just to go along with it and cooperate as much as possible. You don’t have to tell them anything, of course, until you have a lawyer present.
This is not legal advice, however, and we urge you to speak with a lawyer if you find yourself in this situation.
