A wanted man in California, who had twice escaped police by running onto a freeway, was finally apprehended when he walked into a Panda Express restaurant where the same officers were eating lunch. The incident occurred on July 17, but police released body camera video of the arrest on Thursday.
According to police, the man had been wanted on a no-bail warrant for a probation violation. He had allegedly evaded capture on two previous occasions, running onto the freeway and managing to escape each time. The officers had been attempting to take him into custody for a month.
The breakthrough came when the man walked into the Panda Express restaurant, where the officers were taking a lunch break. The officers quickly recognized the man and sprang into action, taking him to the ground. In the body camera video, the suspect can be seen asking the officers, "What did I do?" One officer responds, "You've been wanted. You've been running from me for like a month."
Police have not released the suspect's name. The Monrovia Police Department joked that the arrest was either due to good police work, bad timing, or the irresistible smell of chow mein. The officers did not let the arrest interrupt their lunch, and were seen returning to their meal after the suspect was taken into custody.
The body camera video shows the officers making the arrest, and police have said that this constitutes their public statement on the incident. No further information will be released at this time.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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