Dramatic new bodycam footage shows the moment a fleeing Michigan suspect leaps into the murky Kalamazoo River to evade cops after a minor traffic stop — and never resurfaces, according to police.
Kalamazoo cops said the unidentified suspect sped away from cops around 4:30 p.m. on New Year’s Day when they tried to pull him over on his motorcycle on a “license plate violation,” leading to a high-speed chase.
But the man’s luck ran out when his bike broke down, forcing the suspect — in a white T-shirt, dark slacks and white sneakers — to take off running through a local park and over a footbridge with cops on his heels.
That’s when he’s seen diving into the Kalamazoo, with officers yelling at him to stop as he starts trying to swim away.
“The river current pushed him downstream and officers observed him go underwater and did not resurface,” police said in a Facebook post.
“Several officers entered the river in an attempt to rescue the individual. However, he was not found.”
Cops in Michigan tried to pull over a motorcyclist on Monday but he fled and took off running when the bike broke down. Kalamazoo Public Safety
The unidentified suspect is then seen on bodycam footage diving into the murky waters of the Kalamazoo River. Kalamazoo Public Safety
Police said the unidentified suspect never surfaced, and the search is ongoing, a police spokesman said Wednesday. Kalamazoo Public SafetyThe officers are seen walking along the river trying to locate the suspect in the water.
Police said the Kalamazoo County Dive Team, rescue boats, and the department’s aviation unit were brought in to search but were unable to locate the suspect.
A spokesman for City of Kalamazoo Public Safety said Wednesday that the search for the man is continuing and that police have not been able to identify him.
