Houston police officers will now be allowed to use a driving maneuver designed to stop high-speed chases.
Chief Art Acevedo announced Friday that officers would begin using the Precision Immobilization Technique, or PIT maneuver.
To execute the maneuver, officers drive next to a fleeing suspect, match the car's speed and then nudge the rear corner of the vehicle behind the back wheel. The maneuver should force the fleeing vehicle to spin out safely.
Acevedo took over the department in December. Former Houston Police Chief Charles A. McClelland acknowledged the maneuver can be effective in ending chases. But McClelland tells the Houston Chronicle he prohibited it because of concerns it endangered the safety of officers, suspects and the public while putting more wear and tear on police cars.
