If you think you had a long day at work this Monday, perhaps this story will make you feel a bit better. Police responding to a stolen car report yesterday experienced quite an ordeal.
Why? Because the 34-year-old suspect managed to not only steal an ANWB vehicle, but also the responders’ own police car.
It all started with the ANWB vehicle
According to the NOS, the man, who comes from Breda, began his morning yesterday by taking photos at a defence site near the Gilze-Rijen air base.
When he was asked to leave by security, he decided to abandon his own vehicle. According to Omroep Brabant, instead of using his own wheels, the man attempted to steal a car from a woman outside the property.
While he failed to steal the woman’s car, he did somehow succeed in stealing an ANWB vehicle instead. With his trusty new ride, he began driving in the direction of Dongen.
Then, it was just chaos
This is usually the part where the story ends. We’d say the police gave chase, the man was apprehended, and everyone continued on with their day.
But alas, dear reader, that’s not what happened yesterday. Instead, the story goes like this:
- The police gave chase, attempting to follow the man in his stolen ANWB vehicle
- Due to the man’s dangerous driving (including driving on a cycle path), the police abandoned the pursuit
- The police switched to pursuing in an unmarked vehicle
- They then tried to arrest the man at some traffic lights in Breda-Noord, but he crashed into their car and drove away
- Officers then spotted the man trying (and failing) to steal yet another car near the NAC stadium
- While officers attempted to help the owner of the vehicle and stop the man from stealing the car, he took his chance and stole the police’s own car.
Now, we can only imagine how the officers were feeling in that moment, but it certainly put our rough Monday in perspective.
What happened next?
You’d think the man would have curbed his craving for auto theft once he managed to steal the police’s own car, but believe it or not, he wasn’t done.
READ MORE | Police find hundreds of kilos of illegal fireworks — beneath Amsterdam police station
As the man fled in the police car towards Etten-Leur, he tried to steal yet another vehicle from someone who was still inside.
This time, the man was not successful. Officers managed to stop the man, and he was taken into custody.
His motive? That hasn’t been released (probably because police have no idea).
Want the latest Dutch news to come zooming through the internet to your inbox? Dat kan! Subscribe to DutchReview’s weekly roundup 📮
