An episode worthy of a comedy movie took place last Sunday, June 8, in North Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Local police were involved in one of the slowest persecution of memory, behind a stolen backhoe that followed quietly on the road… about 5 km/h.
The machine driver, Johnny Mesa, 53, refused to stop for more than an hour, even with several police vehicles accompanying him and orders to immobilize the vehicle. The chase began on the US-78 road and drove several kilometers the rhythm of a walk. The agents were required to slowly slow not to exceed the suspect.
The outcome was almost cinematic: the backhoe ended up being bogged down in the Charleston County Fairgrounds venue, the local fairs park. The man still tried to escape on foot, but was quickly located and detained with the help of a drone and a canine team.
Johnny Mesa is now detained and faces several accusations, including theft, public property damage and disobedience to the authorities. The security was fixed at $ 22,000.
Despite the caricatured side of the situation, the incident caused significant damage to the grounds and infant infrastructures. Authorities took the opportunity to alert the population to the growing robbery of heavy construction machinery, often aimed at their high value.
