A grieving mother cried Wednesday morning in the State House as she asked Alabama lawmakers to put restrictions on law enforcement’s ability to engage in high-speed chases.
Such a chase in September ended in a crash into another vehicle in downtown Hartselle and the death of Rachel Moore’s teenage son.
But multiple law enforcement leaders told the Senate Judiciary Committee that Senate Bill 120 would limit their ability to protect the public.
Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, is sponsoring the bill prompted by the high-speed chase through downtown Hartselle. The pursued driver, Archie Brandon Hale, was traveling 80 mph in a 25-mph zone when he collided with the 2019 Toyota RAV4 carrying 17-year-old Tristan Hollis. He was killed and his three friends were severely injured.
The Decatur Daily previously reported that Priceville Police Department officer Garry Chapman led the Sept. 6 pursuit because of an alleged traffic violation.
The Hartselle Police Department charged Hale with reckless murder, and the Priceville Police Department charged him with attempting to elude, possession with intent, DUI, and reckless endangerment, among other charges. He is being held without bond on the murder charge.
Hollis’ family in October filed a wrongful death suit against the suspect, the city of Priceville and the officer, the Daily reported.
A Daily editorial last year said Alabama had the second-highest number of police pursuit deaths per capita in the nation. Orr cited that statistic while discussing his legislation.
It would mandate state, county, or municipal law enforcement agencies cannot engage in vehicular pursuits unless probable cause exists to believe that the driver has committed at least one of several violent crimes, including murder, kidnapping, rape, arson or robbery in the first degree.
“What this bill attempts to do is provide some guardrails when it comes to the offense (for which) we are going to allow pursuits,” Orr told the committee.
There’s also a “catch all” in the bill for “any offense that creates an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury to another individual or a substantial threat to the safety of another individual.”
Rachel Moore, Tristan’s mother, told the committee that her son and his friends had plans that Saturday night to eat at Taco Bell and attend a bonfire. Tristan had a 10:30 p.m. curfew.
“…What torment,” she said. “To think of my only child in pain, clinging (to) his life, how scared he must have been,” Moore told the committee members, some of whom were visibly moved.
Also speaking at a public hearing Wednesday was Reginald McKenzie of Huntsville. His 16-year-old grandson, Jaiden DeJarnett, was killed during a chase through multiple counties in 2023. The chase started in Decatur with that city’s police
McKenzie said police initially tried to stop his grandson because he didn’t have his headlights on late at night when he stopped in Decatur for a burger. He said the teen shouldn’t have fled, but the chase went on for 45 minutes and reached speeds of 135 mph.
“At some point, there needs to be an adult in the room,” McKenzie said about the need for rules for pursuits.
According to media reports, Jaiden’s vehicle struck a tree and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
“They did not need to chase him to his death,” McKenzie said.
During the public hearing, several people spoke against the bill, including a few sheriffs and representatives from the Alabama League of Municipalities and the Alabama Association of Chiefs of Police.
“While the intent may be well meaning, Senate Bill 120 would significantly hinder law enforcement’s ability to apprehend criminals and protect the public by limiting vehicular pursuits to only a narrow scope to violent crimes,” Chief Bill Partridge of the Oxford Police Department said. “This bill would create predictable constraints that will be quickly exploited by criminal offenders.”
Marshall County Sheriff Phil Sims said the legislation would handcuff law enforcement.
“All this is going to do is allow more people to run and put more liability on law enforcement,” Sims said.
Others asked for more time to work on a compromise with Orr. Orr said his door is open, but noted that he’d filed this bill almost a month ago and hadn’t heard any suggestions from law enforcement so far. He has received some “insulting and derogatory emails,” he said.
The committee did not vote on the bill, opting to give Orr more time for potential changes.