Georgia State Patrol Responds to Death of Innocent 19-Year-Old During Chase

A high-speed pursuit on I-20 ended in tragedy Monday evening, claiming the life of 19-year-old Cooper Schoenke and leaving a community searching for answers. In response to questions about the chase and the state patrol’s high-speed chase policy, the state patrol released the following statement, which you can read in its entirety below.

Every life lost on Georgia’s roadways is a tragedy, and the death of a 19-year-old Cooper Schoenke in this incident is nothing short of heartbreaking. Our hearts are with his family and loved ones during this devastating time as they face the unimaginable loss of a son, brother, friend, and member of our community.

What we know at this point is that a Georgia State Trooper attempted a lawful traffic stop with a marked patrol car after observing a vehicle being driven at high speeds, erratically weaving between lanes of I-20, and putting others in danger. What could have been a brief encounter quickly escalated when the driver, Faduma Mohamed, made the decision to flee, continued her erratic driving, and, in under two minutes, struck the vehicle driven by Cooper Schoenke. 

Let us be clear: Faduma Mohamed’s erratic and reckless driving posed a grave danger to the public before she was pursued by a Georgia State Trooper, and the pursuit was initiated by the suspect the moment she chose not to comply with a lawful order to stop. The importance of a driver’s responsibility to stop cannot be overlooked or overstated. Compliance with lawful instructions is the single act that would prevent nearly all pursuits and use-of-force encounters. When people choose not to comply, they not only put themselves in danger, they also put others at risk. The Department’s pursuit policy is grounded in law, shaped by training, and guided by a clear standard that actions be objectively reasonable. We take significant steps to train for, oversee, review, and evaluate our officers’ pursuits and pursuit decision-making. A full and thorough review of the incident is currently underway, involving the Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team and the Office of Professional Standards.

Law enforcement faces one of the most difficult challenges imaginable: balancing the duty to protect life with the responsibility to stop individuals who show no regard for the lives of others. It’s a complex responsibility. Situations can change at a moment’s notice and must be navigated in real time by the brave men and women sworn to keep our communities safe. If the law is not enforced, those who break it will go unchecked, and crime will grow at the expense of law-abiding citizens. What we can do—and what we will continue to do—is hold those who break the law accountable and ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent that Georgia law allows.