English Police Officer Commandeers Citizen's Bike to Chase Down Suspect
A police officer in Northampton, England, commandeered a passerby’s bicycle to pursue – and nab – a drug-dealing suspect on August 23, 2023.
This footage captured by the officer’s body-worn camera shows him initially pursuing the suspect in a car and then briefly chasing him on foot, before asking a nearby rider to lend him his bike. Following a short pursuit, the officer flings the bike in the direction of the suspect to knock him down and complete the arrest, the footage shows.
Later, the officer returned the bike to its owner and thanked him for his assistance, the footage shows. “Mate, I caught him! Wouldn’t have caught him without your help,” the officer said.
On December 1, the suspect was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of “possession with intent to supply Class A drugs,” among other charges, the Northamptonshire Police said. Credit: Northamptonshire Police via Storyful
Video transcript
- There he is.
- Forget that.
[BEEPING]
- We're behind him in the van.
[BEEPING]
- Go, go, go.
- Can I borrow your bike? Let me borrow your bike. Thank you.
[CHATTER]
Up there? Up there? 594, he's going across Beckett's Park towards Bedford Road. He's going left, left Vicky prom towards Morrisons. I'm on a bike. I'm in pursuit.
- Hey. Argh, my head. Ow.
- Got him detained.
- That's foul.
- Hands behind your back. Hands behind your back now.
- Please.
- Get on the floor now. On the floor.
- I'm on the floor.
- Go on your front, on your front.
- I can't move.
- On your front.
- I mean, I ain't done anything.
[SIRENS WAILING]
- Yeah, I've rammed him off his bike. He's being sustained for a Section 23.
[PANTING]
I'm going to get this bike to its owner. I've just grabbed it off a member of the public. Mate, I caught him. Wouldn't have caught him without your help.
- Thank you so much.
- Really appreciate that. All right.
- Take care.
- Cheers.
[PANTING]
