VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — An AMBER Alert and car chase ended in tragedy on Thursday. 16-month-old Zariyah Plummer died, and her two brothers, ages 5 and 7, are still in the hospital. Dana Plummer, 36, is accused of kidnapping the three children from Virginia Beach.
The chase to catch Plummer took Virginia State Police (VSP) over state lines into Maryland. When police got word Plummer's vehicle had been recognized thanks to the AMBER Alert, officers sprung into action. However, that quick decision to chase him is guided by pages of rules, telling VSP when and how to pursue a suspect.
Perhaps the main concern in this case was the possibility that three young children were in the vehicle with Plummer. VSP's guidelines do not specify what to do if there are passengers, children, or hostages in a suspect vehicle. However, troopers are advised to "consider the potential harm to persons and property arising from the pursuit as well as the potential harm threatened by the escaping offender."
The protocol document also tells authorities to consider the seriousness of the crime and its relationship to community safety, the speed of the pursuit, the time of day, and the weather, among other factors.
Thursday's pursuit ended in a crash in Prince George's County, Maryland. In police scanner audio from Thursday obtained by 13News Now, when Plummer crossed the border, a supervisor asked, "To confirm, this is kidnapping vehicle, right? Felony kidnapping?" When the information was confirmed, he continued, "Okay, charged on kidnapping, you’re authorized to go into Maryland."
VSP protocol says "unless the violator’s offense is a felony, sworn employees will discontinue pursuit at the state line." Authorities are also required to notify the other jurisdiction immediately.
Maryland State Police (MSP) arrived at the crash scene at around 9 a.m., about 15 minutes after authorities were first alerted to Plummer's vehicle. Plummer and the two boys were injured; the 16-month-old died at a hospital. Two other cars were involved in the crash, but no drivers or passengers were injured.
MSP was not involved in the pursuit, but the agency will investigate the crash. An MSP representative told 13News Now on Friday that charges against Plummer related to the crash are pending investigation.
VSP will investigate the pursuit. Both agencies declined to comment.