Jan 2024. Blues Vol 40 No. 1

fic and driving on the wrong side
of the road even when no officers
were pursuing them. Police
said the current policy “impeded
officers’ efforts to quickly intervene
and end the suspect’s dangerous
driving behavior.” It was
not until the driver stopped and
left the car that police captured
him, the video shows.
In most circumstances, the updated
policy won’t change police
activity, according to Captain
Franz Schoening. The rule remains
that police can only chase
someone if a violent crime was
committed, a driver is putting
people in danger or in “extraordinary
circumstances.”
The policy also lessens barriers
to using established tools, like
spike strips, to stop a car during
a chase.
Police are required to stand
down if they are pursuing a
known suspect who they believe
they can safely arrest later, according
to current rules. The new
pursuit policy will allow officers
to go after a suspect when they
believe “deferring attempts at
apprehension would be more
dangerous,” police said.
The updates also remove speed
requirements for police using
maneuvers to stop a vehicle, like
ramming, police said.
MAN ATTEMPTS TO BURN A
“POSSESSED” 9-YEAR-OLD
BOY ALIVE
The Sacramento Bee
SEBRING, FL. — A frenzied
attempt to burn a “possessed”
9-year-old boy alive came to
an abrupt end when a Florida
deputy killed one of the adults
involved, according to investigators.
The fatally shot man was identified
as Richard Myron Ham, 39,
and witnesses say he is the one
who placed the boy in the fire,
the Highlands County Sheriff’s
Office said in a news release.
It happened at about 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 19, in Sebring, and
the boy escaped serious burns
after refusing to stay in the
flames, officials said. Sebring
is about 95 miles southeast of
Tampa.
Investigators say it was the fire
department that first confronted
Ham, after receiving calls about
“several people burning piles of
debris on the side of Bay Blossom
Drive .”
“Deputies quickly arrived on
scene and found Ham armed
with two metal rods. Ham refused
to follow deputies’ orders
and a taser was deployed. The
taser did not appear to have an
effect,” the sheriff’s office said.
“Ham pulled the taser probes
from his body and re-armed
himself with one of the bars. He
then swung the bar and struck a
deputy in the head. At that point
... one of the deputies fired his
agency issued firearm.”
Both Ham and the deputy were
taken to hospitals. Ham was
pronounced dead, and the deputy
was treated and released, officials
said.
Detectives say Ham and the
boy’s mother Lakenya Lavonn
Phillips were in the process
of burning the boy’s possessions
when the fire department
showed up, officials said.
“They believed he was possessed
by a demon,” the sheriff’s
office said. “At one point, witnesses
said, Ham put the child
into the fire and covered him
with a blanket that was also on
fire. The child was able to escape.”
An investigation into the shooting
will be handled by the 10th
Judicial Circuit Officer Involved
Deadly Incident Task Force , officials
said.
The deputies involved in the
incident will be on paid administrative
leave during the investigation.
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