They burned the midnight oil in Olympia overnight, but around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, the House passed an amended version of the state Senate’s police pursuit bill.
It changes the wording of the existing law to allow pursuits if an officer has “reasonable suspicion” rather than “probable cause.”
Earlier this month, a police pursuit bill set to loosen restrictions for chasing criminals narrowly passed in the Washington state Senate before the 5 p.m. deadline with a vote of 26-23 despite its companion bill, House Bill 1363, failing to advance beyond the House floor.
With new amendments to the legislation, the bill would allow police to pursue a suspect if they have a “reasonable suspicion” that a crime has been committed. This is especially prevalent in cases involving violent offenses, sex offenses, vehicular assault, an escape, domestic violence assaults, and DUI.
