Police Fire Shots at Crocodiles Chasing Men Who Were Escaping Arrest
The incident was only the latest in a series of weird police pursuits this month.
Two men fleeing police in Australia jumped into a crocodile-infested river, compelling officers to fire at as many as three of the animals to prevent them from attacking the fugitives, police said. The incident occurred in the country's Northern Territory, where law enforcement officials have recently been dealing with social unrest, police said. It is only the latest in a series of weird police pursuits around the country and world this month. Here are a few examples of odd police pursuits.
Northern Territory police were dispatched to arrest four people Friday in the town of Daly River, Australia, when two of the suspects fled, leading police on a foot pursuit. Daly River is about 87 miles south of Darwin, Australia. The men jumped into the Daly River, "which is known for its significant crocodile population," police said.
"Police were forced to discharge a bean bag and live ammunition rounds in order to prevent charging crocodiles attacking the alleged offenders," police said. "No crocodiles were injured, and the two offenders were lucky as they could have lost their lives as a result of their careless actions," police said.
A Florida arson suspect led sheriff's deputies on a high-speed chase on April 25 that ended when the man drove a pickup truck into the Suwannee River and floated away, the Dixie County Sheriff's Office said. The escape didn't last long: Deputies eventually arrested the man identified as George Hartshorn, the sheriff's office said.
"In the early morning hours of April 25, 2023, DCSO Deputies responded to a structure fire in the town of Suwannee," the Dixie County Sheriff's Office said. "While en route to the scene Deputy B. Stone observed a vehicle driven by a white male matching the description of the suspect provided by a witness. Deputy Stone began his traffic stop and made contact with the suspect, who later fled, resulting in a high-speed chase that ended with the suspect driving his vehicle into the Suwannee River (Anderson Boat Ramp)."
"The vehicle drifted downstream, got stuck on a branch, and began to sink," the sheriff's office said. "As the truck sank, the suspect made his way to shore, where he was placed under arrest and transported to the Dixie County Jail."
Florida police pursued a carjacking suspect in a white Lexus from Miami-Dade County through two other counties on April 19. The suspect pulled off the highway and forced the driver of a Tesla out at gunpoint, police said. A police vehicle smashed into the Tesla, sending the suspect fleeing on foot. A passenger in the suspect's Lexus also fled.
The suspect stopped at a canal, removed his shoes, and jumped in. He made it to the other side and entered a house in the neighborhood before the police caught up with him. Both suspects were apprehended.
A pet emu — a large flightless bird that can run up to 40 mph — led Tennessee police on a wild 20-mile chase on April 12. MeeMoo the emu hopped the 7-foot fence of his enclosure on a farm in Roane County, Tennessee, when loggers working nearby spooked him, owner Harry McKinney said. McKinney gave chase but soon lost sight of him.
Social media posts alerted McKinney to MeeMoo running through various neighborhoods of Harriman, Tennessee. Harriman police eventually joined the chase and rounded MeeMoo up — only for him to escape his enclosure a second time.
Police in Carroll Township and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, chased a man in a stolen school bus through three counties before he stopped, took off his clothes, and ran away on foot on April 4. Police got the first call at about 7:10 a.m. that day. Officers saw the bus driving through parking lots of Giant Foods and Rite Aid before it turned onto Route 15. The bus drove over a berm, nearly flipping over, before it stopped in a neighborhood.
The driver, identified as Tony Saunders, ran off through parking lots and traffic, stripping off his clothes until he was naked, police said. After he was arrested, Saunders told police he put a dead deer inside the bus and was taking it to his home to fertilize his garden.
