Chef’s daring street dash to catch a thief
tion. ‘‘[I] thought we did something wrong,’’ Methatip said.
Then, a slim-built caucasian man walked past them. Methatip and his friend said ‘‘hello’’. ‘‘He didn’t answer and walked faster. He stopped and looked back over his shoulder.’’
Another Rebel Sport staff member confronted the man from the store’s backdoor. She had her arms out to block his path.
‘‘He pushed the lady,’’ Methatip said. ‘‘I realised the man did something wrong.’’
In a split-second decision Methatip handed his bag to his friend and readied himself to act.
He was spurred by an incident last year when his bag was stolen from his workplace. In it were his passport, identification and cash for a trip home to Bangkok to visit family.
Luckily, the bag was found in a bin at McDonalds. The cash was gone, but his passport and other belongings were undamaged.
Only a few months later, his friend’s bag was taken from the same spot at the back of Chokdee.
As he ran after the man on Rutherford St, he thought about trying to catch him without hurting the man or putting himself in harm’s way.
He caught up with him in the Montgomery Square carpark and put him in a bear-hug.
In the struggle that followed the man bent Methatip’s left thumb backward painfully. Despite the injury, he held on.
A Rebel Sport staff member then helped get the alleged thief through the back door of the sports store to a holding room.
A few minutes later the Nelson police arrived and arrested a 23-year-old Nelson man.
‘‘I feel good to help, but not my thumb,’’ Mehtatip said.
Rebel Sport staff members realised the man carried garden scissors, allegedly used to shear the electronic article surveillance from a $185 Warriors jersey, after the man was arrested.
Nelson Bays Police area commander Inspector Mat ArnoldKelly said as a general rule the public should not put themselves in harm’s way when they witnessed a crime, unless absolutely necessary.
‘‘When it is necessary for the public to get involved we urge that people make a careful risk assessment.’’
He said the store did the correct thing and called police as soon as the man left the store.
Arnold-Kelly said he was the first officer to arrive at Rebel Sport within a minute of the call.
‘‘In this particular incident the male who chose to intervene did a fantastic job and I would like to thank him for caring enough to get involved.’’
The Nelson man is expected to appear at Nelson District Court in relation to shoplifting offences in coming months.