LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan lawmakers are fed up watching criminals turn police chases into demolition derbies. A new bill package introduced by Rep. Rylee Linting (R- Wyandotte) and Rep. Mike Mueller (R-Linden) would slap mandatory jail time on anyone who thinks they can outrun the flashing lights in their motor vehicles or watercraft.
The proposals, HB 4690 and HB 4691, set up a six-month minimum sentence for basic fleeing and eluding, with penalties revving up to five years minimum in prison if a pursuit ends in death.
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“This bill is about one thing,” Linting said. “Holding criminals accountable for endangering lives through reckless, high-speed attempts to evade law enforcement.”
Chase policies fuel criminal confidence.
Wyandotte Police Chief Archie Hamilton testified at an August 27 hearing in front of the House Judiciary Committee that pursuits in his city have shifted from rare to routine. Once averaging fewer than 10 chases a year in the early 2000s, Wyandotte now clocks around 50 annually. He blames “no- chase” and restrictive pursuit policies in police departments statewide, which, he says, give suspects confidence that cops will eventually switch off the sirens.
“They know if they run, they can get away with any crime because it’s a metaphorical free pass,” Hamilton said, adding that it’s created an environment where criminals think they can do what they want because there are no consequences.
MSP tightened pursuit rules in 2024, citing public safety risks.
The Michigan State Police in 2024 limited pursuits to drivers suspected of life-threatening or violent felonies, hoping to reduce risk to innocent motorists. At the time Police Director Col. James F. Grady said in a statement, “High-speed pursuits are one of the most dangerous circumstances police officers face. A key consideration in any pursuit must be the seriousness of the underlying crime and whether the risks of a pursuit outweigh the public safety benefits of immediately apprehending the suspect.”
Other agencies have similar no chase and restrictive policies. The result: criminals often gamble that officers won’t chase, or if they do, prosecutors won’t seek significant penalties.
Dash cam horror reels.
During a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Hamilton shared dash cam footage showing just how deadly these chases can get. One video showed a fleeing driver running a red light, crashing, and dying instantly. Another showed a man with four prior fleeing arrests telling officers that police “weren’t allowed” to chase him. Wyandotte doesn’t have a no-chase policy.
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The U.S. Department of Justice reports that at least 30% of police pursuits nationwide end in crashes, with injuries or fatalities occurring in 5% to 17% of those chases. Between 2017 and 2021, 60 Michiganders died in pursuit-related crashes, underscoring the high stakes.
The penalty ladder.
The proposed legislation creates a tiered sentencing system as well as increased financial penalties:
- Basic fleeing and eluding (two-year felony): 182-day mandatory minimum.
- Crashes, low-speed zones, or repeat offenders (five-year felony): One-year minimum.
- Serious injury or prior elevated convictions (10-year felony): Two-year minimum.
- Death caused by fleeing (15-year felony): Five-year minimum.
Some members on the committee questioned how often offenders are charged or jailed under current laws and asked for more information. Linting and Mueller were asked to return with data.
Slamming the door on loopholes.
If passed, the bill would effectively shift Michigan law enforcement out of neutral and give prosecutors more leverage to keep serial offenders off the streets.
