The Los Angeles Police Department has admitted to being in pursuit of a vehicle involved in a deadly crash — after first denying it was part of a police chase.
The crash on Aug. 19 killed 35-year-old Janisha Harris, a mother of two, and 38-year-old Jamaree Keyes, a father of five, reports show. The police agency backtracked from initial denials after pressure from the victims’ families to release footage of the accident.
The police videos show the moment the suspect fleeing police runs a red light and T-bones Harris and Keyes’ BMW. Police said the suspect, Matthew Sutton, 20, was going 68 miles per hour when he flew through the intersection. Officers were pursuing him for speeding.
Tanya Keyes, Jamaree’s wife, said what she saw on the video was “horrific.” The victims’ families want the driver and the LAPD to be held accountable.
“I can’t really say that it’s closure, but at least we have the truth,” Tanya Keyes said.
LAPD dash and body-camera video show patrol cars chasing Sutton for more than a minute before he runs the final red light. They turned the sirens and lights on and off intermittently, but they decided to end the pursuit and turn off the lights and sirens about four seconds before the collision, CBS Los Angeles reports.
“The officers turned off their police vehicle’s emergency lights and sirens, indicating they would no longer be attempting to stop the vehicle,” Capt. Kelly Muniz says in the released footage.
