HOUSTON – Officers enlisted the help of a rideshare driver while in pursuit of a man who threatened to shoot a mom and her two kids, according to the Houston Police Department.
The driver, Anthony Baines, told KPRC it was one of the craziest things to ever happen to him.
Baines was a block away from picking up someone who requested a ride, when he saw a man running with no shirt on. Two Houston police officers were trailing behind the man, and the second officer asked the driver to give them a ride towards the man.
“The gap between the cops and the suspect, I felt that it would make sense for them to get in a vehicle and pursue the suspect because he was extremely fast,” Baines said. “I didn’t think they would be able to catch him on foot.”
Houston police confirmed the authenticity of the video and the incident, and told KPRC the man was upset because he thought someone stole from him. Police said when they attempted to detain the man as he was leaving an apartment, he refused to cooperate and took off running.
Despite Baines’ help, Houston police said they were not able to find the man. KPRC reached out to the department to ask about its policy for officers using a person’s car to chase a suspect on foot.
“I didn’t know what my rights were at the moment, but I’m glad I was able to help, and I’m glad that they are recognizing it,” Baines said. “This is by far a unique situation. I never prepared for anything like this. So this is different.”
This story was originally published on Click2Houston.com. Read the full story here.