LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Editor's note: The above video is from June 2021.
Arkansas State Police (ASP) have reached a settlement agreement in a case involving a Precision Immobilization Techniques (PIT) maneuver a trooper made on a pregnant woman last year.
According to the attorneys who represented Janice Nicole Harper, the undisclosed settlement is leading to policy changes on the use of PIT maneuvers within ASP.
When a trooper uses a PIT maneuver they use their vehicle to strike a "fleeing" car, causing it to spin out of control and end the pursuit.
On July 9, 2020, ASP Trooper Rodney K. Dunn attempted to make a traffic stop on Harper for speeding while she was traveling down Highway 67 in Pulaski County.
The highway had concrete barriers alongside it and ASP dash cam video shows Harper slowing down and turning on her hazards so she could pull off the road in a safe place.
Several minutes later Trooper Dunn used a PIT maneuver on Harper, causing her vehicle to flip. She was two months pregnant at the time of the crash.
According to her attorneys, each one of the trooper's superiors determined the situation violated the ASP policy related to the use of a PIT maneuver.
As part of the settlement agreement, ASP has agreed to change its Use of Force policy relating to the forceful maneuvers and institute an “objective standard” required to justify the maneuver’s use versus the previous “subjective standard.”
A screenshot of the change in the policy provided by Harper's attorneys can be found below:
5NEWS has reached out to ASP for the full policy document.