Imagine you’re riding your bike on a path like the Springwater Corridor and a police officer flags you down and asks to borrow your bike for a chase. That’s what happened to two people on Sunday morning on the Burnt Bridge Creek Trail in Vancouver, Washington.
According to body cam footage posted to social media by the Vancouver Police Department Wednesday, officers spotted someone they say had several outstanding warrants. In the video, you first see an officer approach the suspect. The suspect was initially on a bike, but immediately threw it down in favor of running away.
The officer then gave chase on foot. When he saw someone on a bike coming toward him, the officer demanded to use his bike. At first he asked, “Can I use your bike?,” which was quickly followed by “Let me use your bike.” The bike rider obliged, saying, “Be careful,” as he relinquished his beloved bike to the officer. It took a few seconds for the officer to figure out how to operate the bike, but once he did, the video shows him reaching a top speed of 18 mph.
The suspect ultimately tired out, gave up, and was arrested.
“When it comes to catching bad guys, sometimes you’ve gotta improvise,” VPD posted on social media. “With eyes still on this suspect (who had several warrants) and no time to waste, Officers Rich and Copley made quick tactical decisions to commandeer bicycles (thanks to two helpful citizens).”
The body cam shows that the e-bike was likely a Lectric XP 3.0. It has a motor that puts out 1000W of power (the legal maximum for e-bikes is 750W), a throttle, and a maximum speed of 28 mph. Ironically, those specs make the bike illegal for use on paved paths like the Burnt Bridge Creek Trail. I guess the officer was more interested in catching a suspect than ticketing someone who looked to be riding their e-bike safely.
Would you give up your bike if a cop demanded it for use in a chase?This story made me wonder about the law and whether you’d be required to comply with their request. It looks like the law varies from state to state, but in general, the answer is no. Police usually cannot force you to give up your vehicle for use in a chase. I think there are exceptions in the case of imminent danger or public harm, but if someone knows for sure, I’d love to hear more in the comments.
