Suspects caught in ‘hangry’ cop chase
AN off-duty policeman has run down two robbers and tackled them to the ground in a dramatic chase through a Gold Coast suburb.
Southport Senior Constable Scott Miers was making lunch in the kitchen of his first-floor unit at a Varsity Lakes apartment complex about 1.30pm yesterday when he looked out the window and saw two youths “bolting really fast”.
“I’m on a week’s holiday,” he said. “I was making a nice chicken and salad lunch when I saw it all unfold right in front of me.
“It was about 80m away. I could see it from my window.
“I looked out and I saw these two teenagers bolting really fast and I thought, ‘are they chasing each other’, you know?”
“And then I saw these two Asian ladies waving their arms and I saw the two blokes had these handbags and bags.
“I thought they’ve snatched the ladies’ bags and they’re bolting.”
Constable Miers snapped into action.
“The old nature kicked in and I had to give chase,” he said.
Constable Miers said he grabbed his car keys and phone and set out to head the pair off at the pass.
“I’ve seen where they bolted to; by the time I got downstairs they would have been too far gone on foot,” he said.
“So I grabbed my keys and I thought I know where that path goes, I’m going to head them off at the pass and go right around the lake.”
Constable Miers jumped in his car and drove around the lake in time to head the duo off.
“I saw them coming out from the lake in a little side street,” he said. “There were people running from everywhere trying to capture them.
“I got out of my car and obviously they’ve clocked me because I’ve gone straight towards them.
“One ran towards the lake and the other one has sort of done this big mistake by running sideways, trying to get past me, but I tackled him to the ground.”
The second suspect fled while Constable Miers detained the other alleged offender until police arrived.
“He had no chance (of getting away). He tried to struggle a little bit,” Constable Miers said. “People started coming over from all the units and I said call the police. Let them know there’s an offduty officer, he’s got an offender in his custody for a robbery with violence.
“So that was all good. Obviously the police turned up and took care of things and cuffed him.”
Constable Miers had barely caught his breath when 10 minutes later, onlookers began shouting after they spotted the other suspect walking down the street.
“He was across the road about 100m away; he was obviously just walking past and didn’t realise we were all there,” Constable Miers said.
“He’s looked across and seen everybody and seen his mate, and all these people just pointing at him going ‘that’s him; there he is’.”
Constable Miers into action again.
“I chased him across the roundabout, through traffic coming, and bolted about 120m up a hill and tackled him as well.
“There was another copper chasing too but I was a lot quicker. I tackled him to the ground and held him and then he got cuffed and taken back to the car as well.”
Constable Miers said he sprung was no hero – “I was just doing my job” – but admitted he was “hangry” (an amalgam of hungry and angry) by the time he ate lunch.
“I’ll probably get teased when I get back to work; everyone knows what I’m like with my food,” he said.
A police spokesman said a boy, 16, had been charged with three counts of stealing and one count of possession of dangerous drugs and a utensil.
A 14-year-old boy has been charged with three counts of stealing.
The matters will be dealt with under the Youth Justice Act.