Looks like we have yet another "The authorities knew the killer was a problem but kept dropping the ball as if their fingers were coated with KY jelly after a hot night of non-gender conforming passion" story. The Waffle House shooting suspect jacked a BMW from a dealership five days before the Waffle House shooting. The police were notified of the theft and pursued the BMW but didn't continue the pursuit as the stolen car was equipped with a GPS. And killer. More on that below, but first the video:

From The Daily Beast:

After stealing a key fob from a salesperson, police say, he got in a 2018 BMW X6 and drove away from the dealership.

Weaving through rush-hour traffic, he ignored the lights and sirens behind him, before Brentwood police officers terminated their pursuit after a few minutes. Reinking was identified as the suspected thief on Monday as police hunted him down for killing four people at the restaurant in nearby Antioch.

Later that evening, according to police, officers from the Metro Nashville Police Department located the vehicle at the apartment complex where Reinking was living. The vehicle was unoccupied.

The Daily Beast article does not include whether or not the police dusted the car for prints, ran prints, looked up the residents of the apartment complex to crosscheck against criminal histories, knocked on doors asking if anyone saw who was driving the BMW, or if they just took possession of the BMW and continued on their merry way. Failing to notice a person who likes to commit crimes while naked.

It’s that apartment complex that police believe Reinking returned to after the shooting Sunday morning, putting on some clothes before taking off again toward a wooded area. When police searched his apartment Sunday, they found the stolen BMW key fob connecting him to the theft last week.

If only they'd played "Blank Space" by Taylor Swift. Would've sent the killer scurrying for cover. And/or pants.

Now, before everyone freaks the heck out over police dropping the pursuit, there's a reason the chase was discontinued: high-speed chases are dangerous for everyone else on the road. Yes, they make for great TV. Yes, you can have too many car chases in a single film. I'm looking at you Bourne franchise. But if you're driving on the freeway or highway with cops in full pursuit of a stolen car, and the suspect is doing whatever he can to evade capture up to and including throwing his underpants outside, you're probably not feeling safe. Underpants may have skidmarks. Car chases can lead to accidents. Best to play it safe here before hurting innocent people on the road.

So in this one instance, I'm siding with the Brentwood police's decision to call off the chase. They didn't know who was driving the car. And this still isn't Minority Report where precogs can brown ball a potential killer shooting up patrons of simple carbs.

Where Brentwood PD may have slipped up was not following through appropriately on the stolen car. But again, hindsight showcases just how shitty law enforcement often is with these kinds of cases. It's okay, though. Because we still have the gun to blame.

NOT SUBSCRIBED TO THE PODCAST? FIX THAT! IT’S COMPLETELY FREE ON BOTH ITUNES HERE AND SOUNDCLOUD HERE.