When Stealing A Police Car Goes Wrong

What started as a desperate attempt to escape turned into one of the most chaotic—and short-lived—getaways officers say they’ve ever seen.

According to police, the incident unfolded after officers responded to a disturbance call outside a convenience store. As they were detaining a combative suspect, another man—later identified as a 27-year-old with multiple warrants—saw an opening.

Bodycam footage shows the man glancing around, then casually strolling toward the unattended patrol car. In a split second, he jumped inside, slammed the door, and hit the gas.

The move might have felt genius in the moment.
It wasn’t.

Within seconds, the suspect discovered the first major problem: modern patrol cars are outfitted with GPS, remote kill switches, and reinforced gear shifts that civilians don’t know how to operate.

He swerved wildly out of the parking lot, nearly hitting a streetlight, as officers radioed in the stolen vehicle. A helicopter was launched almost instantly.

Moments later, the suspect realized problem number two—police cruisers aren’t exactly subtle. With lights flashing and sirens stuck on from his frantic button mashing, the stolen vehicle practically announced itself to every officer in the county.

Dashcam video shows the cruiser weaving down the highway before suddenly slowing. Dispatch had already triggered the kill switch, cutting the engine mid-escape.

The man bailed out, tried to run, tripped over a curb, and was taken down before he made it ten feet.

Officers recovered the patrol car with only minor damage, but the suspect’s list of charges exploded—from his original warrants to vehicle theft, fleeing, resisting arrest, and obstruction.

As one deputy put it:
“If you’re trying to avoid going to jail, stealing a police car is probably the worst idea you could possibly have.”