‘It’s brave’: Port St. Lucie police release body camera footage of Good Samaritan tackling suspect
COMING UP IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. GLENN. A GOOD SAMARITAN ON THE TREASURE COAST IS RECEIVING PRAISE FOR HELPING POLICE CAPTURE AN ALLEGED MASKED THIEF INSIDE A GROCERY STORE. TREASURE COAST BUREAU REPORTER ANGELA ROZIER HAS A LOOK AT THE NEWLY RELEASED VIDEO OF THE ENCOUNTER. WELL, POLICE HERE IN PORT SAINT LUCIE SAY THAT SUSPECT IS ACCUSED OF STEALING FROM TWO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT STORES INSIDE THIS SHOPPING CENTER ON LABOR DAY, AND THEY SAY HE WAS CAPTURED AT A NEARBY PUBLIX WITH THE HELP OF A CUSTOMER. GOING TOWARD THE DELI, INVESTIGATORS WITH THE PORT SAINT LUCIE POLICE DEPARTMENT RELEASED THIS BODY CAMERA VIDEO THEY SAY SHOWS THE SUSPECT FLEEING FROM OFFICERS AND THEN BEING STOPPED BY A CONCERNED CITIZEN INSIDE PUBLIX. WE HAD LUCKILY A CONCERNED CITIZEN, GOOD SAMARITAN SAW THAT OFFICERS WERE CHASING SOMEBODY DRESSED ALL IN BLACK, CONCEALING THEIR FACE, AND MADE THE HEROIC DECISION TO TACKLE THE JUVENILE. AND WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE HIM INTO CUSTODY. HE’S ACCUSED OF STEALING FROM TWO DIFFERENT STORES IN THE TRADITION SQUARE AREA. MONDAY AFTERNOON. WE DO SEE RETAIL THEFT THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND THAT’S PROBABLY ONE OF OUR BIGGER CRIMES THAT WE SEE MORE FREQUENTLY. BUT SPECIFICALLY IN THE TRADITION AREA, NOT SO MUCH. ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION, RETAILERS REPORTED A 93% INCREASE IN THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF SHOPLIFTING INCIDENTS PER YEAR IN 2023. STAY ON THE GROUND. POLICE ARE CALLING THE GOOD SAMARITANS ACTIONS COURAGEOUS. IT’S BRAVE BECAUSE THE CITIZENS DON’T KNOW WHY WE’RE CHASING THEM. DON’T KNOW IF HE’S ARMED, DON’T KNOW WHAT HE DID. BUT THIS OLDER GENTLEMAN RISKS, YOU KNOW, RISKED HIS LIFE TO TO DETAIN THE SUSPECT FOR US. AND WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE HIM INTO CUSTODY. AND POLICE SAY THE GOOD SAMARITAN DID SUSTAIN A CUT ON HIS ARM WHEN HE MADE THAT TACKLE. BUT HE’S FINE IN POR
‘It’s brave’: Port St. Lucie police release body camera footage of Good Samaritan tackling suspect
Updated: 8:02 AM EDT Sep 3, 2025
Port St. Lucie police say a masked juvenile suspected of stealing from two department stores at Tradition Square was caught inside a nearby Publix after a customer tackled him, as seen in newly released body camera footage. Police said the incident happened around 12:30 p.m. on Labor Day.Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 NewsMaster Sgt. Dominick Mesiti praised the Good Samaritan’s bravery.”It’s brave because the citizen doesn’t know why we are chasing them, don’t know if he’s armed, don’t know what he did,” Mesiti said. “But this older gentleman risked his life to detain the suspect for us, and we were able to take him into custody.”Police said the Good Samaritan, 76, suffered a minor arm cut but is fine. Stay up to date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25Top Headlines:Tropical wave located over far eastern tropical Atlantic could become depression this week
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —
Port St. Lucie police say a masked juvenile suspected of stealing from two department stores at Tradition Square was caught inside a nearby Publix after a customer tackled him, as seen in newly released body camera footage.
Police said the incident happened around 12:30 p.m. on Labor Day.
Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News
Master Sgt. Dominick Mesiti praised the Good Samaritan’s bravery.
“It’s brave because the citizen doesn’t know why we are chasing them, don’t know if he’s armed, don’t know what he did,” Mesiti said. “But this older gentleman risked his life to detain the suspect for us, and we were able to take him into custody.”
Police said the Good Samaritan, 76, suffered a minor arm cut but is fine.
Stay up to date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25
Tropical wave located over far eastern tropical Atlantic could become depression this week