By Craig Hlavaty
Houston Chronicle
HOUSTON — The hero of the day Tuesday was Houston police Officer Steven Borgstedte, a helicopter crewman who decided to bolt from an HPD chopper and duke it out with a suspect who had been running from officers after an alleged north side burglary.
Video of the incident went viral Tuesday afternoon, and rightfully so, since it’s not everyday you see a police chase end with a helicopter crewman jumping from his chopper and apprehending a suspect in a field inside the 610 Loop.
Pilot Jeff Serpas stayed inside the aircraft, though the concept of the pilot himself jumping from a just-landed chopper to wrangle the suspect would be even better.
The chase began earlier in the afternoon after there was a burglary call just north of downtown in the 900 block of Melwood, according to KPRC-TV. When officers arrived at the address the two suspects drove off and police gave chase until the suspects ditched their vehicle near Egypt and Hardy, KPRC reported.
One man ran into a field at Cavalcade and Hardy, where he was caught.
We’re still wondering why the suspect, just after he had collided with a Houston police SUV, would attempt to engage in a fist fight with a man in a helmet who had gone to those lengths to catch him.
The UK publication, “The Mirror,” even called it a “rugby tackle.”
In the video we can see Borgstedte throw his gun and holster aside after the suspect tried to grab it from him, deciding to subdue him hand-to-hand before being joined by fellow officers.
A second suspect was taken in by police at the scene.
If anything, they will have a great story to tell in jail.
“Remember that guy who tried to fight the cop who just jumped out of a helicopter? That was me!”
Copyright 2016 the Houston Chronicle