Florence, S.C. – Police released dashboard camera footage of a wild pursuit between police and a woman wanted for armed robbery that ended in a violent crash where the woman was ejected from her vehicle.
Brittany Jeffords, led police on the July 12 chase after deputies attempted to stop her, according to KPRC-TV. (Video below)
According to a relative, Jeffords was in a hospital and listed in serious condition. Jamie Jeffords, Brittany Jeffords’ sister, said that her sister did not stop because she had a warrant out for her arrest for armed robbery.
The video showed Brittany Jeffords tearing through a field, a rural road and a trailer park before the chase ends on five-lane city street after her car is bumped by a police cruiser.
At that point, Brittany Jeffords swerved and lost control of the car and flipped numerous times and was ejected from her vehicle that rolled over her.
In the video, Brittany Jeffords laid motionless on the ground near the curb with only her foot twitching.
“She tore that trailer up right there. The third one,” Jenell Dixon told WPDE-TV. “She hit it and knocked steps and all off. She almost hit two little guys standing in the yard.”
Another witness said the car was out of control.
"I saw her coming this way. Down the road right there. And she was literally on two wheels," said Jennifer Durant, according to WPDE.
Some nearby residents questioned why police continued the chase when Brittany Jeffords went into a trailer park.
"It was more of a risk with them chasing her than whatever was going on in the first place," said Meredith Kurkoski, according to WPDE.
Gary Meadows caught the chase on surveillance cameras he had installed.
"I like the officers, don't get me wrong. But they should have let her go and got her later," said Meadows, according to WPDE.
The Florence County Sheriff’s Office provided a copy of its pursuit rules to WPDE.
The variables in determining whether to chase a suspect in a vehicle include things such as the seriousness of the original offense and its relationship to community safety, the time of day it is as well as weather conditions.
Also factored in are the presence of other vehicles and pedestrians, whether there are clear radio communications and whether the pursue being chased has been identified.
An armed robbery suspect is one of the highest priority suspects for officers to take into custody and officers may use deadly force to prevent their escape.
You can watch the video of the pursuit below:
