New Technologies to Aid Police Pursuits

Re “L.A. Chief Proposes Ban on Majority of Police Pursuits,” Dec. 17: In your Dec. 8 Opinion section you ran a piece about new technical discoveries, “ ‘Sci-Fi’ Weapons Going to War,” and one item described was an invention called a “directed energy” weapon. The article stated that the military was working on a device that could scramble or disable the electronic functions of a car engine when pointed at the vehicle. This would in effect disable the engine of a fleeing auto without danger to anyone involved. It would seem that this kind of device should be supported by citizens, police and government agencies across the country. It wouldn’t be unreasonable for states to supply funding to assist in the final development of such a device.

Larry Zini

La Quinta

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Why can’t the police, when chasing a fleeing vehicle, which is no doubt a deadly weapon, use deadly force to stop the vehicle?

Al Abrusia

Tarzana