By Pamela Dickman
© 2011 Loveland Reporter-Herald
Earlier this month, sheriff’s deputies used their vehicles to stop a speeding truck and capture a man believed to be involved in a carjacking, home invasion and robbery.
That action at 29th Street and Garfield Avenue, known as a tactical vehicle intervention — or TVI — takes special training and precision.
Loveland police just finished a monthlong training on how to use one vehicle to safely stop another, even at high speeds.
The officers practiced positioning their patrol car in just the right spot, surveying the scene to keep others out of danger and tapping the target vehicle just right.
If it works, the car spins to a stop — amid screeching tires and the smell of burning rubber — and stalls.
“It works magnificently,” said Sgt. Jeff Vanhook of the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, which has been using the technique since 2002.
Officers must consider the road conditions, tires, traffic and the type of crime involved before deciding when it is appropriate to use a TVI, Vanhook said. But when the conditions and actions are just right, it’s been a success.
“It’s not an end-all, but it’s another tool to be utilized,” Vanhook said.
On one occasion, he stopped a fleeing vehicle, but the flight didn’t end there. The people inside the car ran off with officers close behind, and were ultimately captured and charged.
“They ran, but at least we didn’t have 2,000 pounds of metal flying down the road.”
Officer Tim Yunger is the only Loveland policeman to have used the tactic on the street. A year ago, he tapped a fleeing vehicle three times, twice to slow it down, and the last to stop the car.
He slowed the fleeing car as it was approaching the intersection of Madison Avenue and Eisenhower Boulevard early in the morning.
“Instead of hitting it at 80 or 90 mph, he hit (the intersection) at 15,” said Officer Brian Templeman.
While officers use the technique infrequently — once so far for Loveland police and about six times a year for deputies — the April 5 chase that came to a screeching halt at 29th Street and Garfield Avenue shows how it works in action.
“We’ve had great successes,” said Vanhook.
“Every situation is different.”
Pamela Dickman can be reached at 669-5050, ext. 526, or pdickman@reporter-herald.com.
