You don’t often see police in pursuit of a police car — but that’s what happened last weekend in Seattle when a man made an awfully ill-advised attempt at a joyride.
The man allegedly stole a police SUV that was parked just near the precinct, and led cops on an abbreviated chase.
His brief tour came to an abrupt end after only a few blocks, when police drew their guns and stopped the suspect in the middle of the road in the familiar car.
Police believe Cornell Benson Jr., 36, was under the influence of drugs, Det. Drew Fowler told the Daily News. A blood test was conducted but the toxicology results are not yet complete, he said.
Benson was charged with vehicle theft, malicious mischief, and eluding. He was transported to King County jail on no bail. He was just released from the jail on April 1 after spending more than five months at the facility for an assault charge, jail records show.
The dash-cam footage released by the police indicates that the vehicle was parked with the engine running. A man can be heard giving someone directions before a car door opens and closes and the car starts to move.
Fowler said two officers in separate vehicles responded to a building for a disturbance and the officer whose vehicle was stolen went inside the building to investigate. The second officer was still in his vehicle and saw Benson get into the police SUV and drive away. The footage shows that car in immediate pursuit.
It must have made for a strange scene: two police cars driving together, at a sluggish speed, as the suspect’s getaway was stalled by several red lights and some traffic.
When the lane finally cleared, Benson stepped on the gas, but a police officer stopped him by drawing her gun on the vehicle as it was about to pass.
The suspect had little choice, so he stopped the SUV and a trio of officers ordered him to the ground.
The passengers riding a bus in the adjacent lane also got a front-row seat as cops pulled the man, who was dressed in red, out of a police SUV in the middle of the road. The bus didn’t stick around long, however, as it pulled out during the arrest.
Fowler said it was “fortuitous” that the second officer saw the theft occur and immediately started to tail Benson. But he noted the cars have GPS and he would have been apprehended. He added everyone was fortunate there were no injuries or property damage.
Officers do have discretion to keep their vehicle unlocked and running if they believe the type of police call will require them to leave quickly. The officer is not facing any disciplinary action, he said.
