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LIVE IN FORT SMITH AND SHOWS US WHAT HAPPENED AND HOW THAT TROOPER IS DOING. IT WAS FRIDAY APRIL 10TH... AS THE SUN CAME UP... A POLICE PURSUIT HIT SPEEDS OF CLOSE TO 130 MILES PER HOUR AND IT ENDED WITH A CRASH THAT SENT BOTH VEHICLES FLYING THOUGH THE AIR. THIS ALL STARTED WHEN A U.S. FOREST SERVICE OFFICER SAW THE DRIVER OF THIS BLACK TRUCK BLOW THROUGH A STOP LIGHT ON THE SHOULDER OF HIGHWAY 71 IN FORT SMITH. STATE POLICE GOT INVOLVED ABOUT 17 MINUTES LATER AS THE PURSUIT WENT INTO SEBASTIAN COUNTY AND THEN BACK INTO FORT SMITH JUST BEFORE 7 TROOPER MICHAEL SHAWN ELLIS IS THE LEAD PATROL CAR WHEN THE DRIVER OF THE TRUCK SWERVES INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC ON ZERO STREET. YOU CAN SEE THE UNSUSPECTING DRIVERS NARROWLY MISSING THE TRUCK. THAT'S WHEN THE STATE POLICE SUPERVISOR GIVES THE ORDER TO STOP THE TRUCK. (NATS...trooper says "14 get him stopped. If he's driving on the wrong, other side of the road we need t get him stopped. I don't care if he's brake checking you.") (NATS...CRASH) AT SPEEDS OF MORE THAN 100 MILES AN HOUR THE VEHICLES CRASH, AND GO AIRBRONE. TROPPER ELLIS'S CAMERA STOPS AFTER HITTING THE UTILITY POLE. HERE'S WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE FROM THE SECOND TROOPERS CAR. (NATS...CRASH) IN SLOW MOTION YOU CAN SEE THE TRUCK ROLL ON ITS SIDE AND THEN LAUNCH TROOPER ELLIS' CAR IN THE AIR. POLICE AND BYSTANDERS RUN TO HELP. POLICE SAY THE DRIVER, 34 YEAR OLD, JUSTIN BATTENFIELD DIED TROOPER MICHAEL SHAWN ELLIS WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL AND IS HOME RECOVERING. HE'S BEEN A TROOPER WITH STATE POLICE SINCE 2016. THE STATE PATROL POLICY ON CHASES HAS A LOT OF CRITERIA.. THE TROOPER OR SUPERVISOR HAS TO BELIEVE THE DANGER CREATED OUTWEIGHS THE IMMEDIATE APPREHENSION O

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40/29 News obtained State Police dash camera video that shows a high-speed pursuit that ended with both vehicles crashing.Friday, April 10th, State Police took over a chase that was said to have started in Fort Smith after a U.S. Forest Service officer tried to stop a truck for running a stoplight on the shoulder of Hwy. 71 in the city around 6:30 in the morning .State Police dash camera video showed troopers getting involved in the pursuit when the chase entered Sebastian County and was heading back towards Fort Smith. The chase had been underway for approximately 17 minutes when troopers took the lead. In total, the pursuit lasted approximately 30 minutes.Dash camera video showed the driver of a truck swerve into oncoming lanes of traffic on Zero Street. Trooper Michael Shawn Ellis was behind the truck when the order was given to get the driver stopped.Dash camera video shows the patrol car colliding with the truck at speeds of more than 100 m.p.h.. Both vehicles crashed, as the truck rolled it catapulted Trooper Ellis's patrol car through the air, where it snapped a utility pole. Both vehicles came to rest upside down.Police said the driver of the truck, Justin Battenfield, 34, died from his injuries.Trooper Ellis was treated and released from the hospital and is home recovering from his injuries.Citing the ongoing investigation, a State Police spokesperson would not speculate on why Battenfield would not stop for police and the spokesperson would not comment whether or not the pursuit should have been terminated.According to State Police policy, officers should exercise discretion in deciding whether to initiate a pursuit. The decision to terminate a pursuit can be made by the primary unit or ordered by a supervisor at any time during the pursuit.Decisions to initiate a pursuit should include consideration of the totality of the circumstances, including but not limited to:- The nature of the offense;- The time of day;- An evaluation of hazardous conditions;- Geography;- Familiarity with the area;- Types of official vehicles involved; and- The actions of the fleeing driver.Factors to consider in determining when to terminate a pursuit should include the following:- The officer or supervisor believes that the danger created by the pursuit outweighs the need for immediate apprehension of the suspect;- The offender is known;- A supervisor orders the pursuit terminated;- The officer loses visual contact with the fleeing vehicle for an extended period of time;- The officer’s lack of familiarity with the area and his/her ability to accurately relay to communications the location and direction of the pursuit;- Road conditions, traffic congestion and construction zones; or- Environmental factors such as rain, fog, ice, snow, lighting conditions that would substantially increase the danger of the pursuit.