Policy Text
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
1
4.6 Patrol Operations
4.6.9 Emergency Vehicle Operation ‒ Vehicle Pursuits (Revised: 7/28/20 )
A. The following laws shall be adhered to during the course of all vehicle pursuits and used
as guidelines in the specific circumstances of any particular pursuit.
1. Pertinent CVCs
a. Section 21055 provides, in part, that the driver of an authorized emergency
vehicle is exempt from certain provisions of the Vehicle Code when the
vehicle is being used in the immediate pursuit of an actual or suspected
violator of the law, when the driver of the vehicle sounds a siren as
reasonably necessary and when the vehicle displays a lighted red lamp
visible from the front as a warning to other drivers and pedestrians.
b. Section 21056 of the Vehicle Code states that § 21055 does not relieve the
driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due
regard for the safety of all persons using the highway, nor does § 21055
protect him/her from the consequences of an arbitra ry exercise of the
privileges granted in that section.
c. Section 2800.1 provides that any person who, while driving a motor vehicle
and with the intent to evade, willfully flees or otherwise attempts to elude a
pursuing peace officer’s motor vehicle is gu ilty of a misdemeanor if all of
the following conditions exist:
(1) The officer’s motor vehicle is exhibiting at least one lighted red
lamp visible from the front, and the person either sees or reasonably
should have seen the lamp.
(2) The officer’s motor vehicle is sounding a siren as may be reasonably
necessary.
(3) The officer’s motor vehicle is distinctively marked.
(4) The officer’s motor vehicle is operated by an officer and that officer
is wearing a distinctive uniform.
d. Section 170 04 states that a public agency employing officers which adopts
a written policy on vehicular pursuits is not liable for civil damages on
account of personal injury to or death of any person or damage to property
resulting from the operation, in the line of duty, of an authorized emergency
vehicle while responding to an emergency call or when in the immediate
pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law or when responding to
(but not upon returning from) a fire alarm or other emergency call.
e. Addi tionally, § 17001 states that an officer may be personally liable, and/or
expose his/her employer to liability for civil damages due to the death or
injury of a person or damage to property proximately caused by a negligent
or wrongful act or omission in t he operation of any motor vehicle not in a
pursuit situation by a peace officer acting within the scope of his/her
employment.
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
2
B. A pursuit is defined as active attempt by an officer operating an identifiable police vehicle to
apprehend an operator of a m otor vehicle who, having been given a visible and audible signal
to stop, knowingly and willfully fails to obey such direction and either increases the vehicle's
speed, extinguishes the vehicle's lights or makes other overt action designed to avoid
apprehe nsion. Good judgment and common sense must be exercised in every vehicle
pursuit engaged in by officers of the Police Department.
1. Officers must be aware of the dangers and risks involved during a vehicle pursuit
and shall never be indifferent to the saf ety of the public.
2. In most cases, marked patrol vehicles should be used in initiating a pursuit.
However, an unmarked police vehicle may also initiate a pursuit but shall relinquish
the primary pursuit responsibilities upon a marked unit taking over. If the unmarked
unit withdrawing from the pursuit was the initiator, the unmarked police unit shall
respond to the termination point of the pursuit in a non -emergency mode. Police
Department specialty emergency vehicles (i.e., motorcycles, etc.) must yield
involvement to a four -wheeled, marked patrol vehicle.
3. Vehicles owned, leased or operated by the Department that are not equipped with
authorized red lights and sirens are prohibited from engaging in pursuits in any role.
4. Any Department vehicle contain ing a ride -a-long, victim or witness shall not
initiate or become involved in a pursuit.
5. Non-sworn personnel operating a marked or unmarked police emergency vehicle
shall not engage or assist in a vehicle pursuit.
6. Emergency equipment, including both lights and siren, must be used while engaged
in a vehicle pursuit.
C. The seriousness of the possible outcomes of a pursuit demands an officer consider many
factors when deciding to initiate or continue a vehicle apprehension. The officer must
continuousl y make a reasonable assessment that the benefit of apprehension overshadows
the risk of injury or death. This continuous benefit/risk assessment must consider the
following:
1. Danger posed to the community if the person is not immediately apprehended
2. Danger posed to the community, suspect and officer(s) in continuing to pursue
3. Seriousness of the offense or suspected offense committed
4. The possibility of apprehension
5. Speeds involved in the pursuit
6. Pedestrian traffic
7. Other vehicular traf fic
8. Weather, visibility and lighting conditions
9. Familiarity with the area of the pursuit
10. Location of the pursuit and time of day
11. Condition and capabilities of the police pursuit vehicle
12. Condition and capabilities of the officer
13. Qualit y of radio communications
University of California, San Francisco
Police