‘Something’s Changed’: People Won’t Stop For Washington State Police After Post-George Floyd Law Restricts When Cops Can Pursue

Washington State Patrol (WSP) officials are concerned that citizens are no longer stopping for them, according to a Thursday report.

Between January 1 and May 17 of this year, the state agency logged 934 failure-to-yield instances, according to Northwest News Network. Longtime officers concurred that the phenomenon is unprecedented.

“The patrol and other police agencies around the state say they’ve never seen such blatant disregard for their lights and sirens,” Northwest News Network said. “The change in driver behavior comes after state lawmakers passed strict new rules on when police can engage in pursuits.”

“Something’s changed. People are not stopping right now,” Sgt. Darren Wright, a WSP spokesperson with three decades of experience, told the outlet. “It’s happening three to five times a shift on some nights and then a couple times a week on day shift.”

“It used to be sort of unusual and notable to see someone flee or to see someone simply choose not to stop on a traffic stop. Now it’s becoming incredibly common,” executive director of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs Steve Strachan added. – READ MORE