Police Officer Chases Himself For 20 Minutes, Doesn’t Make Own Arrest

An undercover British police offer this week spent 20 minutes chasing himself around the scene of a burglary when tracking a suspected criminal.

The officer was alerted to a “suspicious character” in the vicinity by a security camera operator and as the plain-clothes officer began to track that individual he would get away “just in time.”

The officer eventually realized the camera operator thought he was a suspect. Here’s the officers retelling of the incident for the Telegraph:

“Every time the man darted in to another side alleyway, the (officer) was turning immediately into the same alleyway, but every time the CCTV operator asked what he could see there was no trace.”

It wasn’t until a police sergeant entered the CCTV operator’s room that he realized what was happening at which point he said “I laughed hysterically.”

Apparently police in the area aren’t all that concerned with the situation, telling the Telegraph:

“We’ve had a couple of funnies lately, but all taken in good spirit.”

The police officer wasn’t charged with the crime, although perhaps CCTV operators should get to know the faces of officers a little better to avoid future “chases.”

No word on whether the real criminal was ever caught by British police.