There’s been a lot of debate over whether the police made the right decision in a recently surfaced viral video.
Every so often, CCTV captures some truly bizarre moments, and recently it recorded the unusual conclusion to a police pursuit.
Earlier this week in Seattle, a driver took extreme actions to flee law enforcement.
Detective Brian Pritchard informed the press that on Wednesday, September 17, at approximately 12:20 p.m. local time, officers from the Seattle Police Department encountered a stolen Audi Q5 near 10th Avenue East and Roanoke Street, prompting a chase.
In an unexpected twist, traffic camera footage shows the vehicle traveling on the wrong side of the University Bridge to bypass stalled traffic.
Despite the bridge being raised, the driver went through the guard barrier and leaped across the gap. After this daring maneuver, the police vehicles halted by the damaged barrier, stepping out to evaluate the situation, which did not sit well with some online observers.
The car made it across without incident, and no one was reported injured, yet it sparked a unanimous reaction across social media.
Many likened the scene to something out of a movie or a classic TV series like Starsky and Hutch.
The incident was met with humor by viewers, who left witty comments on the footage as it circulated on various social media platforms.
One user quipped: “Guess they never watched Smokey and the Bandit or The Dukes of Hazzard? You’re supposed to jump too, officers!”
Another remarked: “Man that cop missed the chance of a lifetime!!! He would’ve had a great story for the grandkids lmao.”
A third humorously compared it to: “Definitely Seattle’s version of ‘Gone in 60 seconds’, a hardcore camper heading out to the mountains in a AWD hybrid doing 30 Mph to jump a bridge that is only lifted 4ft.”
Another simply remarked: “One of the greatest getaways I’ve ever seen, live. Smokey and the Bandit takes it to Ballard!”
Detective Pritchard made a statement regarding the decision not to jump the bridge, seemingly anticipating public critique.
He stated: “It’s not the movies. We’d never do anything like that.”
The stolen Audi was eventually discovered abandoned near Pasadena Place Northeast and Northeast 42nd Street in the University District.
Despite the efforts, the suspect managed to escape capture.