https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/08/31/park-police-car-chases/

Gift link https://wapo.st/3JZYvBq

U.S. Park Police have initiated at least 10 car chases in the past three weeks as part of President Donald Trump’s surge in federal law enforcement in D.C., court records show. They’re pursuing drivers they tried to stop for tinted windows and fake tags, broken headlights and running a stop sign.

A driver with a minor in the back seat struck a tree, then a guardrail. Another accelerated to more than 80 mph before hitting multiple cars on Interstate 295. A third nearly hit a detective before flipping the car. Court records reviewed by The Washington Post show that among the 10 chases since Aug. 14, at least six involved crashes.

The pursuits — all of which began as traffic stops for nonviolent crimes and were initiated by federal task forces formed in response to Trump’s Aug. 11 executive order — would have violated D.C. police policy. The District’s police department allows car chases only when the driver is putting other lives in danger or is suspected of committing a violent crime.

Park Police had imposed stricter rules, allowing pursuit only for people wanted for violent felonies, after two officers chased, then shot and killed unarmed motorist Bijan Ghaisar in Northern Virginia in 2017.

But last week, Park Police announced those chase restrictions were gone.

“That’s right criminals,” the Park Police union posted to its X account. “If you flee from a traffic stop in DC, we will chase you — and we will catch you. Tell your friends.”