Houston Police Jump Into Uber Mid-Chase to Pursue Suspect

An Uber driver in Houston found himself unexpectedly part of a police pursuit earlier this month after two officers jumped into his car mid-chase and told him to follow a fleeing suspect on foot.

Anthony Baines, an Iraq War veteran who has driven for Uber on weekend nights for about two years, was stopped at a sign in the Heights neighborhood around 12:30 a.m. when he saw a shirtless, shoeless man sprinting down the street. "I thought that was the fastest guy I've ever seen in my life," Baines said. "He wasn't playing. He wasn't playing at all."

What Led to the Chase

According to the Houston Police Department, the pursuit began after officers responded to a terroristic threat call on Seventh Street on Aug. 7. Police said a woman was at a pool with her children when a man came out of a nearby apartment and got into an altercation with her, at one point allegedly threatening to shoot her and her kids. Officers arrived to take her statement when the suspect reappeared, and attempted to detain him, but he broke free and took off on foot, prompting officers to give chase.

Unable to keep up with the suspect, one officer flagged down Baines' car and got in, saying, "Hey, give me a ride over there, please." According to dashcam footage Baines shared with FOX 26, the officer then directed him to pick up her partner, who was also pursuing the suspect on foot. Once inside the vehicle, one of the officers could be heard shouting, "Go, go, go, go!" as Baines drove them around the block toward the apartment complex where the encounter began.

How the Chase Ended

The officers rode with Baines for a few minutes before getting out to continue searching on foot, according to HPD. Despite the effort, the suspect was not located and remained at large following the incident.

Baines said the officers were primarily concerned about his safety during the unexpected ride-along, telling FOX 26, "They were very glad that I was OK, and no harm happened to me. Their concerns were, if we actually did confront the suspect, what risk would I be put in?" Drawing on his own military background, Baines said he stayed calm throughout the encounter, explaining, "I am an Iraq veteran, so I've been in a very stressful environment before, where I've had to just kind of focus on what was at hand. And, at that moment, I just knew that the cops needed me and I was just going to do whatever they told me to do."

Was It Against Policy?

ABC13 Houston asked HPD about its chase policy following the incident, and the department pointed to its foot pursuit policy, which does not specifically address situations where an officer enlists a passing vehicle during a foot chase. An expert who reviewed the incident said it does not appear to have violated department policy.

Baines had one lighthearted complaint about the whole ordeal: the ride never got rated or compensated. "No tip. No five-star review, no thumbs up, nothing," he said. "I think if I have an issue, it would be with that. I need a tip next time."

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