Khaberni - In an incident that seemed close to Hollywood chase movie scenes, a freeway in Seattle, USA, turned into a chaos zone after a drug-influenced man stole a police car and engaged in a dangerous chase with law enforcement, which ended with his arrest.
According to the police, the suspect, named Alexander Eugene Smith (24 years old), forcefully pulled a lieutenant from the driver's seat of her official car, then sped away on one of the busiest highways in the state, in broad daylight on Christmas Day.
According to the "New York Post," the lieutenant had responded to a report of a person erratically wandering between the lanes of the freeway near 11 AM when she was startled by the suspect approaching the patrol car, violently opening the door, and pulling her out before fleeing with it.
Dangerous scene
Footage captured by cameras and published by the TMZ network showed the man walking amidst the traffic on the freeway, then approaching the police car with flashing lights, violently opening its door, and forcefully removing the lieutenant, who was trying to cling to the closed door, in a scene described as dangerous and shocking.
Immediately, several patrol cars chased the stolen police vehicle, managing to corner it and collide with it to stop it on the side of the freeway, which is among the busiest in Washington state, just before midday.
The incident resulted in the lieutenant sustaining minor injuries, while several police cars were damaged during the chase, according to authorities.
Methamphetamine
During his arrest, the suspect initially refused to reveal his identity, later admitting he had used methamphetamine earlier that day.
The police also found two glass tubes containing burnt residue suspected to be drugs in his possession.
Several charges were leveled against Smith, including robbery, fleeing from the police criminally, possession of a stolen vehicle, assault on a law enforcement officer, and driving under the influence of narcotics.
The authorities reported that the suspect refused to appear in court during the indictment hearing on Friday, with plans to present him before the judiciary at a later time.
