UAPD officer not at fault for fatal pursuit

UAPD administrators and the Pima County Attorney's Office cleared Officer Jason Kingman last Wednesday of any wrong-doing in a police pursuit crash left a suspect dead.

"We found he was within department policy," said Cmdr. Brian Seastone, a University of Arizona Police Department spokesman.

The accident occurred on March 26 at about 11:35 p.m. Kingman was at a red light on East Sixth Street and North Campbell Avenue when a red 1986 Ford Mustang went through the intersection without stopping, police reports stated.

Kingman pursued the suspect, Samuel Morales, Jr., 20, of the 300 block of West Mockingbird Lane, south on Campbell and then east on East Eighth Street.

The chase ended when a 1997 Pontiac mini-van heading south on North Tucson Boulevard collided with the Mustang after Morales ran a stop sign at the intersection of Eighth and Tucson, reports stated.

UAPD Chief Harry Hueston II said department policy mandates an administrative review of all vehicle pursuits.

"We review all police pursuits," he said. "The extent of that review is a result of the consequences of the police actions."

Many agencies supplied investigative reports, including the Pima County Attorney's Office and the Tucson Police Department.

The Pima County Medical Examiner autopsy reports state that Morales' blood alcohol content was .103 and there were traces of cocaine in his system.

Bruce Chalk, a deputy county attorney, said he did not find any reasons to issue criminal charges against anyone involved in the incident because the crash was clearly the result of Morales' reckless driving.