CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- A mourning family is demanding answers after their loved one was killed by a driver who was being chased by Chesterfield Police.
Denasia Gray, 28, died after the fleeing suspect crashed into her boyfriend's car in Petersburg.
Denasia's sister, Deeana Gray, is now questioning whether the police pursuit was necessary in the first place.
"And it leads to something so tragic, so unnecessary that could have simply been avoided," Deeana said, standing in the spot where a makeshift memorial for her sister is growing. "I want answers. My family wants answers."
Chesterfield Police said officers tried to stop a stolen Chevrolet Silverado in the area of Iron Bridge Road and Lewis Road around 10:15 p.m. on March 15.
When the driver, 38-year-old Michael Dawson, did not pull over, officers pursued at a high speed.
Stop sticks police used to disable the vehicle damaged the tires, but Dawson kept driving.
The chase continued into Colonial Heights and then into Petersburg where police said Dawson ran a red light at Washington Street and rammed into another vehicle.
Virginia State Police said they responded to the crash around 11:20 p.m., more than an hour after the pursuit started.
Inside the other vehicle were the driver Oterrius Demarcous Taylor and passenger Denasia Gray.
Both were taken to a hospital where Denasia later died from her injuries.
“Why was it so imperative to risk multiple (lives)... and cause my sister to lose her life because y’all wanted to make an arrest for a stolen truck and some guns? It just doesn't make any sense to me," Deeana said.
Deeana added that she's calling for an end to police pursuits because she doesn't believe they lead to "safe and effective arrests."
"This is not worth it," she said.
Chesterfield Police declined an interview request, but department spokesperson Liz Caroon said in an email:
"We are intentional about balancing the risk to the public, our officers, and even those who flee with what we believe to be the potential harm of not attempting to apprehend those who choose to run from a lawful stop. We are not blind to or immune from those risks ourselves and we often see firsthand the dangers of reckless driving on the streets we, our families, and neighbors travel every day — but making the decision to flee from a lawful stop is the choice made by the person behind the wheel."
Chesterfield Pursuits Up 197%
The incident is part of a growing statistic in Chesterfield.
According to data provided by the department, pursuits in Chesterfield County have increased by 197% over the past five years with 63 chases reported in 2018 to 187 chases reported in 2022.
Caroon said she did not know what factors are contributing to an increase in pursuits but said more choices by drivers to flee from police lead to more decisions to pursue.
She said department policy has not significantly changed in recent years.
Other jurisdictions in the area are not seeing anything close to the increase in pursuits that Chesterfield has experienced.
Between 2018-2022:
- Richmond Police pursuits decreased by 9% from 129 to 118
- Henrico Police pursuits didn't change at all with 70 reported in 2018 and 70 reported in 2022
- The Hanover Sheriff's Office saw an increase from seven pursuits in 2018 to nine in 2022
- Colonial Heights Police reported 11 in 2018 and 18 in 2022, an increase of 63%
Chesterfield Police ultimately arrested Dawson and charged him with multiple felony charges including eluding police, possession of a stolen vehicle, and being a felon in possession of a gun.
“My message for Mr. Dawson is take the time to think about what you’ve done," Deeana said.
Asked if the pursuit was initiated and executed according to department policy on vehicle pursuits, Caroon said it's still under review.
The policy states that reviews of pursuits should be completed within 15 days following the pursuit.
Virginia State Police said it was made aware of the March 15 pursuit by Chesterfield Police but did not get involved because troopers were physically out of position.
Colonial Heights Police said it was made aware of the pursuit as it traveled through its jurisdiction but did not actively engage because its assistance was not requested.
Petersburg Police has not yet responded to CBS 6's questions about its involvement.
Chesterfield Police's policy states that if a pursuit extends beyond Chesterfield into another jurisdiction and that jurisdiction's law enforcement declines to get involved or assist, a controlling supervisor must re-evaluate whether the pursuit should continue.
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