Following the deadly Ybor City crash last fall, the Tampa Police Department revised its policies on vehicle pursuits.
An internal review found that Tampa police did not ask the Florida Highway Patrol, a state agency, to pursue the driver before he crashed into a nightclub on 7th avenue, killing four and injuring 13.
After the crash, community members questioned FHP's pursuit policy, which differs from TPD's.
FHP guidelines on pursuits allow chases for a wide range of offenses, while TPD restricts pursuits to only cases involving forcible felonies or serious crimes.
The internal memo from Tampa police states that while "no policy violations occurred" the night of the crash, the policy was updated to further clarify officers are "prohibited from requesting another agency to initiate a pursuit when TPD policy does not allow us to do so."
The memo also said, as a proactive measure, TPD took back eight portable radios previously issued to the FHP.
The radios allowed for "efficient communication" on a citywide channel between officers and other law enforcement agencies in addition to the Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System, which requires officers to patch in.
A department spokesperson told WUSF that while FHP had the radios on the night of the crash, they were not used to communicate.
ALSO READ: An expert in pursuits questions the police chase that ended in a fatal Ybor City crash
Moving forward, the memo says "communication with FHP will be coordinated with our Communications Division with the main radio frequencies to ensure transparency and accountability."
TPD added the following line under their procedures: "Absent exigent operational need, no TPD personnel shall provide a law enforcement officer from another agency with a TPD portable radio for joint enforcement operations without express authorization from a captain or higher authority."
The FHP has not returned requests for an after action report, which agency policy states should be completed 30 days after the incident.
After the crash, the FHP issued a statement to the Tampa Bay Times, saying, "This tragedy rests solely on the suspect’s reckless actions, not law enforcement.”
Police helicopter footage released by the TPD shows the moments before and after the driver, Silas Sampson, veered onto the sidewalk and plowed into Bradley's on 7th.
TPD's helicopter pilot first spotted Sampson's car on I-275, "street racing on the highway."
The pilot communicates Sampson's whereabouts to TPD and FHP over the radio.
Eventually, a trooper identified as A. Carrasco in court documents, pursues Sampson onto 7th Avenue, where he attempts to make a traffic stop.
When Sampson flees, Carrasco tries to stop Sampson's vehicle using a PIT maneuver by driving into the rear end of his car.
Sampson continues to drive down 7th avenue at a high speed. The footage shows him passing under the Ybor City archway as the trooper gives up the chase about three blocks away from the crash site.
The helicopter pilot can be heard saying, "We’ll keep him in sight if you want to back off since he’s on 7th avenue."
Right after, Sampson veers left, narrowly avoiding a vehicle driving through the intersection of 15th Street and 7th Avenue.
At a speed of about 77 mph, according to court records, he crashes onto the patio of Bradley's on 7th.
Another voice in the video recording is heard saying, "multiple subjects hit by this vehicle."
Sampson faces more than 30 charges including four counts of DUI manslaughter. He's being held without bond as he awaits trial.
