Police Hunt Suspect In Patrol Car Theft
Police from several departments are banning together to catch a thief who stole a police cruiser and sent them on a wild chase through Metro Detroit before ditching the car and fleeing on foot.
It all started with a traffic stop, according to Southfield Police Lt. Nick Lucia. He said more than one officer stopped a stolen vehicle in the Northland parking lot at around 10 a.m. Tuesday. Three young men were in the car.
While police were arresting one, one of the other young suspects took off running. Lucia said one doubled back, jumped into an empty police car and drove off.
Police tried to catch up with the auto thief as the chase continued up Northwestern Highway, where the suspect driver turned on the police car overhead lights before he drove down the Southfield Freeway to Seven Mile.
The stolen patrol car was recovered late Tuesday morning by Southfield Police. Following a high-speed chase, the vehicle was found unoccupied near Schoolcraft, just west of the Southfield Freeway in Detroit.
Early Tuesday evening, one 20-year-old suspect was in custody, as the searched continued for the one who got away.
K-9 units and the Oakland County Sheriff's Department helicopter were called in to help as the search. State Police and officers from Redford and Southfield are investigating.
No one was injured during the chase.
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