Diego Lopez, Reporter
GRANTS, N.M. – A series of disasters stemming from high-speed police pursuits have crippled the City of Grants. Now, as the Village of Milan seeks to change their policies so as to make highspeed pursuits less dangerous, Grants City Manager Donald Jaramillo said that GPD has been following their policies to the letter. The first major pursuit incident occurred in the City of Grants on May 11. This pursuit began as three men from Grants stole a flatbed Dually truck from Gallup, N.M. Officers began the pursuit which reached high speeds down Santa Fe Avenue before it crashed into a Ford F-250 an SUV, and then the traffic light pole on the corner of Santa Fe Avenue and NM Highway 53. Now, almost four months later, the light pole has still not been replaced, causing frustration and the occasional traffic jam.
Another speeding incident occurred on July 20; this accident proved to be fatal. According to police, Grants man Tyrone Apachito allegedly crashed into a family car and smashed the vehicle flat. This incident left a man and his wife dead, injuring the man’s two daughters who were also in the car. This chase was initiated after law enforcement received calls of a drunk driver. After an officer attempted a traffic stop, Apachito allegedly sped away from the officer, beginning what would be a fatal crash.
Another high-speed pursuit occurred at the end of July, with Grants officers subduing and arresting the suspect without incident.
The destruction caused by these chases has prompted members of the Cibola community to question the safety of these pursuit policies. At the Coffee With the Managers event on August 1, the village and city manager were both asked if their agencies were taking a closer look at their governments police pursuit policies. What is Grants Police Department doing?
“I won’t comment in regard to possible litigation; however, we do feel that policy was followed and its unfortunate, the result. No one is more sad than, obviously the department itself that had to experience the situation but, anyway, we do have policy and we strive to follow it,” Manager Jaramillo said. Grants Police Department is not currently working to change their pursuit policies. “From what I understand, the city, prior to me being city manager, they had recently removed their policy and amended it. There is a copy available if you’d like by asking Chief Marez at the police department,” Manager Jaramillo said.
What is Milan Police Department doing?
“The Village of Milan is looking into reviewing our pursuit policy, as of yet we haven’t passed anything to the contrary, but our [police] chief is very adamant about safe pursuit policies,” Village of Milan Manager Linda Cooke said.
The entire village policy on pursuits is being rewritten. According to an internal memo obtained by the Cibola Citizen from July 19 by using the Inspection of Public Records Act, just before the fatal accident in Grants, Police Chief Carl Ustupski made it clear to his officers that they are not to endanger the public with high-speed pursuits.
“I am looking to make some changes to our pursuit current pursuit policy. The changes have to be made and approval is needed from [The Milan Board of Trustees]. Until the policy is updated, please utilize the following guidelines for vehicle pursuits,” Chief Ustupski writes to his department. The guidelines demand that officers do not endanger the safety and good order of the village.
Since the memo was released, MPD has worked diligently to rewrite the policy and procedures for the village, and are currently working to finalize the new policies.
Public safety is an important part of a functioning society, both Manager Jaramillo and Manager Cooke agreed.