A Cincinnati police report finds officers involved in a July chase with five girls accused of shoplifting did not follow all department policies.
A car carrying the kids-a 12 year old and four teenagers- slammed into a pole in Norwood during the chase, which began as a shoplifting incident. Three teen girls face charges because of the incident.
Police began chasing the girls after a report that they'd stolen items from a convenience store in Pleasant Ridge. Police tells us the girls allegedly took potato chips, a couple of drinks, some energy bars, a bag of cookies, a bag of beef jerky and some candy from a UDF on Woodford, near Langdon Farm Road. They were spotted about a block from the store. Officers say the driver miscalculated a turn and hit a pole at the corner of Montgomery Road and Quatman.
The report concludes the teen driver's failure to control the car caused the crash. She faces several charges.
The report says the officer was correct in her decision to attempt a traffic stop -- but that she violated policy by running a red light, driving faster than 20 miles per hour over the speed limit and failing to activate her video recorder microphone.
It's not clear whether the office will face any disciplinary action.
