Judge: Police can be sued for car chases

Here's a rarity.Local government being held accountable.The Indianapolis Star reports:

A Marion County judge ruled Wednesday that a bystander injured in a 1999 high-speed police chase can sue the city and Indianapolis police for damages arising from his injuries.

Superior Court Judge David Dreyer rejected the city's claim that officers involved in the 50-second chase, which reached speeds of up to 80 mph, had "law enforcement immunity," a concept that has blocked other lawsuits after high-speed chases went awry.

"Police officers engaged in a chase are not entitled to immunity for negligence," Dreyer concluded. "It is therefore left to a jury to decide the fault in this case, that is, who caused the accident: the police officer, the suspect who chose to flee, or a combination of both?"

The state isn't God on earth.