By Police1 Staff
ALBUQUERQUE — The owner of a car wash – who wishes to remain anonymous – decided to spring into action when he saw a masked man shoot an Albuquerque cop, then jump into the wounded officer’s cruiser and speed off. The owner followed the gunman, calling 911 from his own muscle car, a 2003 Corvette C5.
Christopher Chase, 35, was armed with an AK-47 rifle when he told a bystander to call 911 and tell police “he would be waiting for them,” according to the Washington Post.
Veteran officer Matthew Hannum arrived on scene and was shot in the leg by Chase, who managed to get into the cruiser and leave the scene with the squad’s emergency lights flashing.
“When he got in the police unit and took off I wasn’t going to let the individual get away, especially when no one else was around,” said the car wash owner, who then jumped into his Corvette and chased after the man while on the phone with emergency dispatchers, according to KOB.com.
“They kept on telling me to pull over and stop and this and that. That I’m breaking the law,” he said. The man stopped pursuing the gunman only after officers arrived and were also pursuing Chase.
The witness was still behind Chase when he stopped at an intersection and fired at oncoming officers.
Chase was killed after crashing the cruiser he’d stolen. Three officers were wounded and are recovering.