The head of London’s police force decided to take matters into his own hands Monday morning, when an alleged theft happened right under his nose.
London’s Metropolitan Police Service commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe was in the middle of an interview with a local radio station Monday in the city’s north end when a cab driver approached him and complained that his passengers were refusing to pay their fare.
According to police, the four men inside the vehicle jumped out the cab and fled. Jumping into action, Hogan-Howe and another officer set off in pursuit of the men.
The officers caught up with one suspect, a 17-year-old youth, inside a nearby railway station, where an officer arrested him.
But the drama didn’t end there. Hogan-Howe then got into a police car to hunt for the other suspects.
Catching up with a second man some distance away, Hogan-Howe arrested him on suspicion of theft and making off without payment.
Metropolitan Police later confirmed that the commissioner himself had arrested a 19-year-old man:
Commissioner Hogan-Howe arrested a 19yo man on suspicion of theft @MPSHaringey this morning after being flagged down by local taxi driver.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) August 11, 2014
In an interview with the radio station, the driver, identified as Mohammad, said he didn’t even know he had approached the city’s top cop when he had sought help.
After the arrest, Hogan-Howe said it was a “disgrace” that having served on the force as commissioner for the past three years, he had not made an arrest sooner.
“That’s very slack, it’s a disgrace, but today we have put it right,” he said.
Hogan-Howe also said that he has now made an arrest at every rank in his policing career.
Members of his force were quite impressed with their boss’s initiative, and took to Twitter to say so:
Well that doesn't happen everyday.. SevenSis PC Gledhill arrested 1 for theft and Sir Hogan-Howe arrested the other suspect! #bossstillgotit
— Sgt Pete Shaw (@MPS_SevenSisSgt) August 11, 2014
On patrol with met commissioner for the day. One arrest for theft arrested by the commissioner himself. @MPSHaringey @metpoliceuk
— Sgt Niall O'Neill (@MPSWestGreenSgt) August 11, 2014