By Mark Price
Miami Herald
SLIDELL, La. — A scene straight out of an action movie turned dangerously real when a good Samaritan picked up a cop on foot and the two began driving after suspects, body cam video shows.
It happened shortly after noon Saturday, Nov. 1, in Slidell, Louisiana, when Sgt. Jeff Kahrs started chasing a shoplifting suspect on foot at the Fremaux Town Center, Slidell police said in a news release.
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Video shows the chase became futile when the suspect jumped into a waiting car and was whisked away. But that’s when something unexpected happened.
Another car pulls up alongside the officer, and a woman rolls down her window and asks: “Wanna hop in?”
“A Good Samaritan witnessed the events and realized that Sgt. Kahrs wasn’t near his patrol car. She offered Sgt. Kahrs a ride, to which Sgt. Kahrs graciously accepted,” police said.
“The citizen-officer duo safety followed the suspects, while Sgt. Kahrs gave a play to play to responding officers via his police radio. Moments later, several backup officers arrived and were able to take (the suspects) into custody.”
Kahrs rushed from the woman’s car before getting her name, which led to police posting a message that the department very much wanted to thank her – if they could find her.
She has since been identified by police, but her name has not yet been released.
The two suspects were arrested and charged with theft and resisting an officer by flight, police said. The woman is from Navarre, Florida, while the driver is a man from Biloxi, Mississippi, police said.
“To the good Samaritan, who I spoke with this morning, people like you are the reason why Slidell is a great place to live and work,” Slidell Police Chief Daniel Seuzeneau said in a news release.
“Without hesitation, you assisted one of our officers ... expecting nothing in return. Thank you.”
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