One good Samaritan helped two Texas police officers catch a suspected car thief after a foot chase.
The incident took place on June 18 in the Fort Worth suburb of White Settlement, according to KDFW-TV in Dallas.
“As the officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop, the bad guy bailed on foot and ran…. and ran… and ran some more,” the White Settlement Police Department posted on Facebook.
In the Texas heat, Cpl. Jon Porter, could not keep up, but Officer Samuel Brown kept up the chase.
“We got a little help from an unknown Good Samaritan who saw Corporal Porter running and offered him a ride… Corporal Porter took the man up on the offer and quickly arrived at the apprehension location. Whoever this man was…. a big thank you!!! Together, WSPD and our Community, we are strong. Great job in getting this guy off our streets with 4 charges (3 felonies and 1 misdemeanor). We were also able to return the car to the rightful owner,” the department said in a post made immediately after the chase.
Brown was placing the suspect in handcuffs as reinforcements arrived.
“I look over my shoulder trying to see who is coming up on me, and then I see Porter jump out of the car,” he told KDFW. “It was pretty funny.”
He said he later asked Porter about the incident.
Do we need more citizens willing to help the police?
“I wasn’t even thinking about it much until after we got back here, and I’m like, ‘Did you really get into someone else’s car?’” he said.
Joshua Taylor Brown, 31, was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle, possessing a stolen credit card and evading arrest, KDFW reported.
Police Chief Chris Cook originally appealed to the public for help identifying the good Samaritan, KDFW reported, because “it’s not every day that someone jumps in and lends a helping hand like this.”
later identified the good Samaritan as Jimmy Davis, a former security guard.
We recognized community member Jimmy Davis for his quick actions in supporting one of our @WSPDTX officers during a recent foot pursuit of a stolen vehicle suspect. On behalf of the White Settlement Mayor and City Council, thank you! pic.twitter.com/el1L8Qwy6d
— Christopher Cook (@cooktx) July 6, 2022
Davis told KDFW he saw the chase and decided he could not be a spectator.
“I told my wife, ‘I’m gonna get in the car and follow,’” he said. “My intention was to stop the guy from going any further. I did what I had to do, and I would do it again, too, if I had to.”
Brown, who was born with one arm, told KDFW he had been told in California he could not be a police officer.
But in Texas, he is doing just fine.
“I was excited the whole time,” he told the station. “I live for this kind of stuff.”
