Dramatic new body camera footage shows the moment a suspect on the run from Michigan jumps into the murky Kalamazoo River to evade police after a minor traffic stop and is never seen again, police say. It is said that it never appeared.
Kalamazoo police say the unidentified suspect fled after police tried to pull him over on a motorcycle for a “license plate violation” around 4:30 p.m. on New Year's Day, leading to a high-speed chase.
But the man's luck ran out when his bike broke down, and the suspect, wearing a white T-shirt, dark slacks and white sneakers, was forced to run through a local park and cross a pedestrian bridge as police tailgated him.
He was then seen jumping into Kalamazoo, and police yelled at him to stop as he tried to swim away.
“The current swept him downstream and officers observed him submerging in the water and not resurfacing,” police said. said in a Facebook post.
“Several police officers went into the river to rescue the person. But he was not found.”
Officers can be seen walking along the river, trying to locate the suspect in the water.
Police said the Kalamazoo County Dive Team, rescue boats and the department's aviation unit were called out to search but were unable to locate the suspect.
A Kalamazoo Public Safety spokesperson said Wednesday that the search for the man continues, but police have not identified him.
