California High Court Sides With Police In Fight Over Chases

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The California Supreme Court has rejected a lawsuit that could have made it easier to hold police liable for crashes during pursuits.

The court ruled unanimously on Monday that law enforcement agencies in the state are protected from lawsuits in those cases even if every officer has not attested to having read the agency's pursuit policy.

The ruling came in a lawsuit against the Southern California city of Gardena by Irma Ramirez, whose son was killed in 2015 after an officer bumped his pickup truck during a chase. At issue in the case was a state law that gives police broad protection from liability during pursuits.

Ramirez's attorney, Abdalla Innabi, said the decision makes people less safe.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press.