A recent San Francisco Police Department car chase took a high-stakes turn when a suspect ditched his vehicle and climbed over the edge of the Bay Bridge, dangling precariously above the water.
On April 1, police noticed a vehicle that was reported stolen in San Francisco traveling near Eighth and Market streets, the department said Thursday.
The driver refused to pull over when officers attempted to stop him, leading police on a 30-minute chase through the streets of San Francisco and onto the freeway.
The chase ended when the driver got on the Bay Bridge, came to a stop near Treasure Island and climbed over the railing.
“Oh,” an officer can be heard exclaiming in footage released by the department. “He’s jumping off the bridge!”
Instead, the driver climbed underneath the span. Footage shows him clambering between crossbeams on the underside of the bridge, more than 200 feet over the water. California Highway Patrol officers, a fireboat, marine units and hostage negotiators all responded to the scene.
“After several minutes hiding inside a support beam, the suspect climbed back onto the bridge, and was taken into custody without incident.”
Police did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the suspect’s name or charges he faces. Video timestamps show that the man climbed under the bridge around 7 p.m. and police were still on scene just before 8 p.m. It was unclear what time the man was arrested.