After 5 Deaths, Agencies Cautious About Tire Deflation Devices

GRAND RAPIDS — Walker Police Officer Trevor Slot’s death while trying to deploy spike strips to stop fleeing bank robbers didn’t go unnoticed by other police agencies.

It was the nation’s second such death in a week, at least the fifth this year.
“It caused us concern about the safety of our officers,” said Blake Wilson, a senior corporal for the Arkansas State Police.

Arkansas troopers last week held training sessions on the use of spike strips. It is standard, but commanders felt a sense of urgency: They lost one of their own that way six years ago.

Cpl. Mark Carthron deployed the strips on I-40, about 30 miles northwest of Memphis, Tenn. The robbers’ car hit the spikes and slowed to a stop. But as Carthron retrieved the strip, he was struck by a state police car chasing the suspects.

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