Media Release: NSW Police must clarify when they stopped pursuit that ended in fatalities

Redfern Legal Centre is calling on NSW Police to clarify when they stopped pursuing a car in an incident that ultimately ended in the deaths of two people.

Police said in a statement issued on Saturday that they terminated the pursuit in the Bankstown area.

However, according to media reports today CCTV footage obtained by 9News appears to show the car in question being followed by multiple unmarked police vehicles at Bridgewater Boulevard in Camden Park about 40km from Bankstown and just minutes before the crash.

The footage allegedly shows three unmarked police vehicles behind the car without lights or sirens activated, followed by a marked police car with sirens on.

Samantha Lee, Assistant Principal Solicitor at RLC, said:

To preserve public trust in the police and provide transparency to the grieving family and friends, the NSW Police Force should promptly clarify when they ended the pursuit.

RLC has long called on NSW Police to release its 'Safe Driving’ policy to the public.

NSW State Coroners have made numerous recommendations about safe driving in the context of police pursuits, but we still don’t know if NSW Police have acted on these recommendations.

A transparent and robust Safe Driving policy is needed to assist police to navigate complex police pursuits and ensure public safety. 

ENDS