‘I DIDN’T HESITATE’
TOOWOOMBA visitor Russell Smith (main, below left) “didn’t think twice” about helping police cut off a man they were chasing through Surfers Paradise.
Mr Smith and police wrangled him to the ground in dramatic scenes on Saturday night: “He got creamed.”
IN the past 18 months, Russell Smith’s home has been robbed three times, so when he saw the opportunity to stop an alleged criminal he pounced.
The Toowoomba man had been enjoying a quiet weekend away with his partner on the Gold Coast when he spotted police chasing a man through the heart of Surfers Paradise on Saturday night.
He had been returning from dinner when the drama unfolded outside Tiki Hotel Apartments about 9pm.
The buff hero leapt into action, running ahead to cut off the man’s escape, after hearing police yell at him to get on the ground.
“I thought I could probably catch him so I made chase and got a bit ahead of him and cornered him,” he said.
“He took one look at me and s**t himself and turned around to run the other way, that’s when he got creamed.”
Drawing on his martial arts and self-defence training, Mr Smith helped the police officer restrain the man until back-up arrived.
“It was a challenge. He was a pretty big bloke and he’d obviously had his Weetbix that morning because there were a couple of us struggling to keep him down.”
Mr Smith said he “didn’t think twice” about helping.
“It was just one of those natural things you do,” he said.
“I saw this guy and I didn’t know what he’d allegedly done, but seeing the police reacting like they did I figured it was pretty serious.
“There was just one police officer so I thought I’d better at least slow this guy down.”
The incident struck a chord with Mr Smith, who has seen more than his fair share of crime recently.
“In the last 18 months we’ve had three break-and-enters where people have run in the back door while we’ve been home and grabbed valuables and taken off,” he said.
“I’ve never had the opportunity to chase them down.”
Mr Smith admitted he was still coming to terms with his new-found fame after video of the incident was shared online.
“The whole thing ended up going viral,” he said
Mr Smith, who works in government administration, said he had never considered becoming a cop, but had a lot of respect for the profession.
The man arrested, Sid Fadil, 40, from Labrador, was charged with one count each of possessing a dangerous drug and obstructing police.
He was granted bail in the Southport Magistrates Court yesterday.
He was also fined $800 after pleading guilty to failing to appear in court twice and breaching bail.
HE TOOK ONE LOOK AT ME AND … TURNED AROUND TO RUN THE OTHER WAY, THAT’S WHEN HE GOT CREAMED RUSSELL SMITH