Speak Out: Are Dangerous High-Speed Police Chases Justified?

Police chases are nothing new in the Lowcountry, but some are questioning the police's use of force during a recent chase in Hanahan that led to the deaths of two North Charleston teenagers. 

The four teens in the vehicle allegedly . The Hanahan Police officer was pulling over the vehicle for it flashing its highbeams at on-coming traffic when it sped away. The vehicle was pursued because the tag was marked as stolen in the law enforcement system, according to police. 

Watch the video attached to this story from Wednesday night's police chase and wreck in Hanahan.

Lt. Michael Fowler of Hanahan Police said the decision to chase down a suspect is not authorization of "deadly force" but a necessary reaction that is dictated by the suspect's action. 

"We can only react to what we're given," Fowler said. He cited the recent incident where a Charleston police officer was shot at the end of a pursuit. "When those blue lights go on, it's a seizure but it's not deadly force ... they make a conscious decision not to stop when signaled."

Fowler said the Charleston area has been lucky that not many of the police chases have ended in injured bystanders. However, . The driver died days later. 

When asked if it was justified to risk the lives of the fleeing driver and passengers for crimes that would warrant a few months or years in jail, Fowler said that is not the intent of a pursuit.

"Nobody deserves to die in a wreck. I don't care if you're guilty," Fowler said. "Yes, they paid with their life but they are not being held accountable (in the justice system either) ... These people need to go to jail. They don't need to die."

Fowler added if law enforcement gave up pursuit of high-speed drivers, it could create more problems of more people running from cops and not being held accountable. 

"Our job is to go out there and catch the bad guy," Fowler said. "You cannot enforce the law based on hindsight."

Speak Out: Is chasing down suspects warranted, even at the expense of their lives, the officers' lives and the lives of others? Tell us in the comments!