MILWAUKEE, WI - On September 16, a mom and her two sons were killed when their car was struck by another vehicle fleeing police. In that same incident, two other children were seriously injured, and now, residents and officials are weighing in on the police pursuit policy.
On that day, 50-year-old Pler Moo and her two sons, 21-year-old Moo Nay Taw and 15-year-old Kar Lah Kri Moo, were fatally struck while traveling at North 35th and West Vliet streets, according to Wisconsin Watch. Since the fatal crash, some have called for changes to police pursuit policies, while others blame the crashes on those who flee police.
"It is a very complex issue," said Ruth Ehrgott, whose pregnant daughter, Erin Mogensen, was killed in 2023 when a reckless driver fleeing police crashed into her car. "I will always stop somebody who says, 'Well, you know the problem is ...' These problems are too complex for that."
In honor of her daughter, Ehrgott founded a nonprofit called "Enough is Enough — A Legacy for Erin. She believes the entire community has a part to play in reducing deaths and injuries from reckless driving. She does not point the finger at one side or the other.
Over 10 years ago, the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) restricted vehicle pursuits to only violent felonies. Then, in 2017, then-Police Chief Edward Flynn expanded the department's policy to allow pursuits in cases involving drug dealing and reckless driving. In 2018, police pursuits rose 155%, from 369 instances to 940.
A report from the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission showed that two-thirds of those chases were initiated because of reckless driving. In 2024, there were 957 police pursuits in Milwaukee, and just one-third ended in a crash, according to another Fire and Police Commission report.
This year, there have been five deaths caused by crashes during police pursuits in Milwaukee since July. On July 29, El Moctar Sidiya was killed when a man fleeing officers crashed into his car. On August 23, Hasan Harris died after his car was struck by an individual who was fleeing police.
Geoffrey Alpert, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of South Carolina and an expert on police pursuits, weighed in on the issue. He said if the goal is to reduce traffic injuries and deaths, pursuits should be limited to cases involving violent crimes.
He also said it is a myth that limiting police chases to violent crimes causes an increase in other offenses, such as drug dealing. He cited a study in Virginia that found that narrower pursuit policies did not lead to higher crime rates.
MPD has acknowledged the widespread effects of these police pursuits. "Police pursuits present significant challenges due to the physical, emotional, and financial impact on officers, the public, and fleeing suspects," an MPD spokesperson said. There were calls to change MPD's pursuit policy from members of the public during a Fire and Police Commission meeting on September 18.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson addressed reckless driving and high-speed pursuits while at a news conference on September 18. He said that traffic-calming measures had reduced reckless driving in the city, but high-speed chases involving police remain a serious problem.
He said the city is considering different options, including using technology to warn people about pursuits. But the primary responsibility for stopping chases is on those who flee, he said. "I believe that one of the most effective things we can do to eliminate these chases ... is to listen to officer commands and pull the vehicles over and not proceed with the chase," Johnson said.
Calling the September 16 crash "particularly devastating," Milwaukee County District Attorney Ken Lovern said police must be involved in the response to reckless driving.
"It is important to keep in mind that reckless driving has injured and killed several innocent people in our community, without any police pursuits involved," Lovern said. "Police cancel pursuits where the public safety concerns indicate that is the appropriate course of action."
On that day, 50-year-old Pler Moo and her two sons, 21-year-old Moo Nay Taw and 15-year-old Kar Lah Kri Moo, were fatally struck while traveling at North 35th and West Vliet streets, according to Wisconsin Watch. Since the fatal crash, some have called for changes to police pursuit policies, while others blame the crashes on those who flee police.
"It is a very complex issue," said Ruth Ehrgott, whose pregnant daughter, Erin Mogensen, was killed in 2023 when a reckless driver fleeing police crashed into her car. "I will always stop somebody who says, 'Well, you know the problem is ...' These problems are too complex for that."
In honor of her daughter, Ehrgott founded a nonprofit called "Enough is Enough — A Legacy for Erin. She believes the entire community has a part to play in reducing deaths and injuries from reckless driving. She does not point the finger at one side or the other.
Over 10 years ago, the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) restricted vehicle pursuits to only violent felonies. Then, in 2017, then-Police Chief Edward Flynn expanded the department's policy to allow pursuits in cases involving drug dealing and reckless driving. In 2018, police pursuits rose 155%, from 369 instances to 940.
A report from the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission showed that two-thirds of those chases were initiated because of reckless driving. In 2024, there were 957 police pursuits in Milwaukee, and just one-third ended in a crash, according to another Fire and Police Commission report.
This year, there have been five deaths caused by crashes during police pursuits in Milwaukee since July. On July 29, El Moctar Sidiya was killed when a man fleeing officers crashed into his car. On August 23, Hasan Harris died after his car was struck by an individual who was fleeing police.
Geoffrey Alpert, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of South Carolina and an expert on police pursuits, weighed in on the issue. He said if the goal is to reduce traffic injuries and deaths, pursuits should be limited to cases involving violent crimes.
He also said it is a myth that limiting police chases to violent crimes causes an increase in other offenses, such as drug dealing. He cited a study in Virginia that found that narrower pursuit policies did not lead to higher crime rates.
MPD has acknowledged the widespread effects of these police pursuits. "Police pursuits present significant challenges due to the physical, emotional, and financial impact on officers, the public, and fleeing suspects," an MPD spokesperson said. There were calls to change MPD's pursuit policy from members of the public during a Fire and Police Commission meeting on September 18.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson addressed reckless driving and high-speed pursuits while at a news conference on September 18. He said that traffic-calming measures had reduced reckless driving in the city, but high-speed chases involving police remain a serious problem.
He said the city is considering different options, including using technology to warn people about pursuits. But the primary responsibility for stopping chases is on those who flee, he said. "I believe that one of the most effective things we can do to eliminate these chases ... is to listen to officer commands and pull the vehicles over and not proceed with the chase," Johnson said.
Calling the September 16 crash "particularly devastating," Milwaukee County District Attorney Ken Lovern said police must be involved in the response to reckless driving.
"It is important to keep in mind that reckless driving has injured and killed several innocent people in our community, without any police pursuits involved," Lovern said. "Police cancel pursuits where the public safety concerns indicate that is the appropriate course of action."
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Comments
2025-10-05T18:59-0400 | Comment by: arthur
If someone is driving and running from a cop, and causes an accident and another person dies as a result of that accident, the person driving the car should get an automatic death penalty, if that State has one, or a life sentence. Make that law VERY public, and maybe people would think twice and just pull over rather then take the chance...It's really not that complicated or complex.
2025-10-05T20:06-0400 | Comment by: James
There is no problem here! It is the officers job to stop reckless driving! The police risk their lives every day arresting these criminals! I agree with the automatic death penalty for those who cause a death while running from the police!