HICKORY, N.C. — The Hickory police officer who was involved in a pursuit that ended in a crash that killed a woman and her 12-year-old son is no longer employed, the Hickory Police Department confirmed Friday.
Officer Atia Shamseldin tried to stop a motorcycle rider for careless and reckless driving on Sept. 9. The motorcyclist, identified as 24-year-old Chanceler Timothy Johnson, refused to stop and Shamseldin initiated a chase, according to investigators. Shamseldin slammed into a minivan driven by Cynthia Nicole Lail at the intersection of Highway 70 SW and 13th Street. Lail was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Her 12-year-old son, Michael Lail, died the next day from his injuries.
Shamseldin and a Hickory Police Department applicant in the car with him were treated for minor injuries. His employment with Hickory police ended on Oct. 4, a department spokesperson said.
Johnson surrendered to police after being on the run nearly two weeks. He was charged with two counts of felony elude arrest in a motor vehicle causing death. Johnson was released on bond and last appeared in court on Sept. 26. His next appearance is set for Oct. 17.
"Chanceler's state of mind right is just horrified by what happened in this case," Johnson's attorney, Lisa Dubs, told WCNC Charlotte.
In response to a WCNC Charlotte inquiry, the Hickory Police Department released its pursuit policy. The 11-page document is intended to regulate when officers do and do not chase. The policy shows much of the decision-making is left up to the discretion of the officer.
Beth Fox, Cynthia Lail's mother, is now calling for North Carolina lawmakers to ban police chases.
"I'm angry and I am on a mission to make sure North Carolina has a no chase policy," Fox said. "That is going to be my beautiful daughter and my beautiful grandson’s legacy, this is not going to happen to anybody else."
A Department of Justice report published by the Police Executive Research Forum recommends that "pursuits should take place only when two very specific standards are met: 1) A violent crime has been committed and 2) the suspect poses an imminent threat to commit another violent crime." The report recommends policies that discourage or prohibit pursuits if the suspect is riding a motorcycle.
A 2022 WCNC Charlotte investigation found that at least 4,200 innocent bystanders alone have died during police pursuits over the last 40 years.