Fire and Police Commission weighs changes to MPD pursuit policy after six incidents that left nine dead

The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission on Oct. 16 took extended public comment and a departmental briefing on the Milwaukee Police Department’s vehicle pursuit policy, SOP 6‑60, after public speakers described multiple recent cases in which pursuits injured or killed bystanders and family members called for stronger limits.

At the outset of public comment, Alan Chavoya, a resident, said the city should re-examine the department’s chase rules. “These pursuits are leading to deaths,” Chavoya said, urging commissioners to consider tightening the policy. Several other speakers urged either an outright ban on pursuits for nonviolent offenses or stricter limits; others asked the commission to pursue a separate local measure dubbed “Sam’s Law” to hold out‑of‑jurisdiction officers accountable following the July RNC killing of Samuel Sharp Jr.

“Too many innocent people have been hurt by this policy,” said Kayla Patterson, who identified herself as a Milwaukee Alliance member. She repeated figures cited earlier in public testimony and watchdog briefings: the department reported 683 pursuits in 2024 and 778 so far in 2025. Family members whose relatives died or were injured also spoke: Angelique Sharp, sister of Samuel Sharp Jr., asked the commission to “take a stand with us against this” and urged renewed consideration of a policy that…