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Ravenswood council adopts change to pursuit policy to allow cross‑state pursuit when felony suspected
Summary
Ravenswood's council approved a police‑department request to amend the city's pursuit policy so officers may continue "fresh pursuit" into Ohio when they reasonably suspect a felony, replacing a stricter rule that allowed cross‑state pursuit only when failure to pursue would result in death.
Ravenswood's City Council on March 24 adopted a police‑department policy amendment that lets officers continue "fresh pursuit" into neighboring Ohio when they reasonably suspect a felony, Police Chief Lance Morrison told the council.
Morrison said the change follows a recent pursuit involving a vehicle allegedly stolen in Parkersburg, West Virginia, which crossed into Ohio. "It went over into Ohio and ended peacefully with no injuries, no wrecks," he said, describing assistance from the Meigs County sheriff's office and state highway patrol.
Under the city's earlier policy, Morrison said, officers could pursue into Ohio only if the alternative would lead to death. The proposed amendment aligns the department with a long‑standing interstate framework—what Morrison called the "uniform act on fresh pursuit"—and would authorize continued pursuit when officers have reason to believe a felony has been committed. He also said the amendment includes officer‑safety safeguards: pursuits should terminate if radio signals degrade and backup from Meigs County or highway patrol is not available, "unless the threat of death is present at that point."
Council members asked whether Meigs County and the highway patrol agree to reciprocal operations; Morrison said he had spoken with Meigs County Sheriff Fitch and that they had an understanding, including offers of radio support. Questions about civil liability were raised; a council member said the city's insurance "follows us."
The council voted to adopt the policy amendment by voice vote after limited discussion. The amendment, Morrison said, more closely aligns Ravenswood with regional practice and provides a documented procedure for making arrests across the state line when officers are in fresh pursuit.
Next steps: the amended policy will be adopted into the department's manual; internal reviews and CALEA‑style after‑action reviews will continue for any use of force or pursuit incidents, Morrison said.
