Georgia lawmakers, advocates call for change in Georgia State Patrol pursuits after innocent driver killed

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — A law enforcement chase that led to a deadly crash in Atlanta’s Little Five Points neighborhood has advocates demanding change.

A deadly Georgia State Patrol (GSP) pursuit on Monday took the life of an uninvolved driver, 19-year-old Cooper Schoenke.

Devin Barrington-Ward, the director of communications for the National Police Accountability Project, called the crash an avoidable shame.

“Cooper is never coming home and a mother has to do something that no mother wants to do, which is to bury their own child,” said Barrington-Ward.

GSP said their chase started when 23-year-old Faduma Mohamed started driving erratically on I-20. The SUV she was driving then got off on Moreland Avenue.

GSP said Mohamed ran a red light, then hit and killed Schoenke. Mohamed is charged with multiple felonies, including murder.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Innocent 19-year-old killed in crash following police chase in Little Five Points; driver identified

LaNeeks Luckett, owner of EarthTone boutique in Little Five Points, was working when the crash happened.

“We saw everyone running up the block,” she said. “As we got up there, we saw GSP pull up.”

Luckett believes this crash was the latest in a growing pattern of deadly, preventable tragedies.

“There has to be some type of safer alternative to pursuing cars on a high-speed chase through the city,” Luckett said.

Federal data shows Georgia has one of the highest rates of law enforcement pursuit-led deaths. Advocates point the finger at law enforcement, while agencies point the finger at the people they’re chasing.

“Ultimately, the troopers are the ones that have the responsibility of protecting the public, not the people that they’re chasing,” said Barrington-Ward.

Gov. Brian Kemp’s office does not agree. Kemp spokesman Garrison Douglas sent the following statement:

“It is heartbreaking to see such a young life taken at the hands of a criminal seeking to evade justice.

Those who break the law and act recklessly are to blame for the tragic and needless loss of these lives, and it’s shameful that anyone would seek to diminish the actions of those who caused these deaths and shift blame onto those who put their lives on the line everyday to safeguard our communities. It is thanks to the brave and dedicated work of law enforcement and the full rejection of these short-sighted arguments that we have seen a historic drop in crime in our Capital city.”

Data from the Georgia Department of Transportation says that from 2019 to 2021, 195 people died in police pursuits, 43 of whom were not being chased.

Harrington-Ward questions why technology is not being used more.

“I just don’t understand why a high-speed pursuit is the way to effectively end whatever they may seem as a public safety violation by causing more danger to the public,” Harrington-Ward said.

Georgia State Patrol policy states troopers must use discretion and good judgement in each pursuit to ensure actions are reasonable.

GSP policy states that Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuvers, defined as using a patrol car to forcefully stop a fleeing car, should only be used to “safeguard life and preserve public safety.”

In addition, PIT maneuvers should not be used until other methods, such as tire deflation or roadblocks, are considered.

“The majority of these situations with highway patrol are indicating that there’s a lack of responsibility and there’s a carelessness as it pertains to preserving the safety of the public,” Barrington-Ward said.

This afternoon, advocates and local lawmakers held a press conference near the site of the deadly crash.

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The group is calling for an end to high-speed chases and immediate changes to the Georgia State Patrol’s pursuit policy.

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