Body-worn video footage has captured the moment a van driver in the UK pulled over to help armed police chase down a suspect as he threatened to get away.
The unnamed driver watched as heavily-armed police struggled to keep up with the suspect as he fled the scene of a serious assault on the High Street in Margate, Kent.
The man they were after managed to evade arrest and fled on foot, Kent Police said in a statement.
In the footage from 16 June, the driver of a passing black people carrier van spotted the drama unfold and told one of the officers to “get in the back” .
The officer, who was wearing heavy kit, then replied: “Go, go, go! Cheers buddy. Follow that police officer.”
As the driver then speeds off in the direction of the suspect, the officer continues: “Just go past him. Keep going past him…”
A few moments later, the footage depicts the van driver pulling up at the side of the road, having overtaken the suspect and the armed officer jumps out before training his gun on the suspect and making the arrest.
The van driver, whose faced is blurred out, is then thanked by the police officer, before joking: “I am just glad I could be of service. That was quite exhilarating.”
Armed policing superintendent Will Lay said: “A violent offender who was being relentlessly pursued, and was seeking to evade capture, came close to losing patrols in a nearby park.
“However, our armed officers remained committed. Thanks to the quick and selfless actions of this responsible and public-spirited driver, officers were able to apprehend the dangerous individual.
“The successful arrest may not have been possible without the member of the public and his vehicle. He should feel proud of his contribution to keeping his community safe and we are truly grateful for his assistance.”