Watch: Police car reversed down pavement during joyride
A police car was taken for a joyride and reversed down a pavement in Greater Manchester after an officer left it to arrest a dangerous driving suspect.
In social media footage, a young man can be seen behind the wheel of the marked BMW SUV, which has its blue lights flashing.
In the clip, posted on Sunday, people can be heard laughing and cheering as the incident unfolds in Kirkholt, Rochdale.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said it was aware of the footage and officers believed they had identified the individual who took the car for a joyride.
The force did not confirm the age of the suspect, but videos shared online described those involved as “kids”.
A spokesman said the incident happened after an officer left a vehicle unattended to detain a man in a nearby shop following a short chase. The police car was recovered close to the scene a short time later.
A GMP spokesman said: “We’re aware of a video being shared online of a police car being driven dangerously in Kirkholt over the weekend. This happened after an officer left the car to bravely detain a 28-year-old man in a nearby shop following a pursuit.
“Someone decided to get into the car and behave in this unacceptable manner, and now believe we have identified them for further action.”
Police said the individual from the initial dangerous driving incident had been arrested.
