Twice this month, Hamilton County sheriff’s deputies ended dangerous vehicle pursuits the same way.
After suspects fled into Georgia, deputies intentionally struck the rear quarter panel of each vehicle, sending it into a controlled spin that brought the chases to an end.
While the maneuver lasted only seconds, national law enforcement guidance says officers should rely on specialized training, departmental policy and careful judgment when deciding whether to use what is formally known as a Precision Immobilization Technique, or PIT maneuver.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office used a PIT maneuver July 10 to stop a stolen vehicle after a pursuit that began in Chattanooga crossed into Georgia.
Eleven days later, deputies used the tactic again after a suspect wanted on felony warrants fled investigators and led deputies down Rossville Boulevard and Interstate 24 before the pursuit ended across the state line.
Both pursuits, the sheriff’s office reports, ended with successful PIT maneuvers.
The back-to-back incidents have renewed attention on a law enforcement tactic that many people have heard mentioned in news reports but few fully understand.
More than a controlled collision
Despite its name, a PIT maneuver is not simply a patrol car bumping another vehicle off the road.
The technique is designed to cause a fleeing vehicle to rotate after a pursuing officer makes controlled contact with the rear quarter panel. Ideally, the maneuver ends the pursuit quickly while limiting the risk to officers, the suspect and the public.
Done incorrectly – or under poor conditions – it can also cause serious crashes, rollovers or injuries.
Because of those risks, national law enforcement agencies describe PIT as a specialized tactic rather than a routine pursuit technique.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police says PIT maneuvers should be performed only by officers who have completed agency-approved training.
Training typically includes vehicle dynamics, controlled driving exercises, communication, selecting appropriate locations and safely taking suspects into custody after a vehicle comes to rest.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services likewise characterizes PIT as a high-risk tactic requiring restrictive pursuit policies, supervisory oversight, recurring training and careful documentation.
Many agencies also recommend supervisory approval whenever practical before a PIT maneuver is attempted.
Every pursuit is different
Whether a PIT maneuver is appropriate depends on far more than whether a deputy can execute it successfully.
Professional guidance encourages officers and supervisors to consider vehicle speed, traffic volume, weather, road conditions, nearby pedestrians and the seriousness of the underlying offense before deciding to end a pursuit with vehicle contact.
Many departments prohibit PIT maneuvers involving motorcycles, buses, tractor-trailers and other vehicles with a higher likelihood of rolling over.
Although policies vary among agencies, PIT maneuvers are generally intended for relatively low-speed pursuits because the risk of serious injury increases significantly as speeds rise.
The goal is not simply to stop a suspect’s vehicle, but to end a dangerous pursuit without creating an even greater danger.
A tactic with local history
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office has used PIT maneuvers for years.
The agency credits Chief Deputy Spencer Daniels, then a lieutenant, with introducing PIT as an approved pursuit tactic while overseeing deputy training.
Publicly available reports show deputies have used or attempted PIT maneuvers in at least eight pursuits since 2021, including cases involving a suspect who rammed a Sequatchie County deputy’s patrol vehicle, juvenile carjacking suspects, stolen vehicles, road rage incidents and an attempted murder suspect.
The sheriff’s office does not publish annual statistics showing how often deputies perform PIT maneuvers, making it impossible to determine from publicly available information whether deputies are using the tactic more frequently or whether the agency has simply become more likely to mention it in news releases.
Two pursuits in July
The July 10 pursuit began after the Chattanooga Police Department received information about a stolen vehicle on Wilcox Boulevard.
Sheriff’s deputies attempted a traffic stop, but the driver fled into Georgia before deputies used a PIT maneuver on Battlefield Parkway, according to the sheriff’s office. The investigation remains active.
The July 21 pursuit began when detectives with the sheriff’s Criminal Warrants Unit attempted to arrest a man wanted on felony warrants from Walker County, Georgia. According to the sheriff’s office, the suspect fled in a vehicle, driving erratically through Hamilton County and into Georgia before deputies executed a PIT maneuver after the vehicle slowed.
The suspect, identified as Kennie Montieth, was taken into custody by Georgia authorities and now faces charges in both Georgia and Tennessee.
Split-second decisions
For most drivers, the phrase “PIT maneuver” is little more than police jargon repeated in television reports or social media posts after a pursuit.
For deputies trained to perform one, it represents a split-second decision with little room for error.
The contact itself might last only a moment, but everything leading up to it is intended to ensure it’s the safest option available.