A Houston rideshare driver was caught off guard but maintained composure when two police officers entered his vehicle and instructed him to pursue a suspect fleeing on foot, according to dramatic dashcam video.
Anthony Baines stated he was operating his Uber vehicle around 12:20 a.m. on August 8 in a Houston Heights neighborhood. A shirtless individual ran across the street in front of his car, with two Houston Police Department officers close behind, as reported by Storyful.
The footage shows an officer waving Baines down. He stopped, and she quickly approached and entered the front passenger seat.
"Hey, give me a ride over there please," the officer can be heard saying in the video. "Go, go that way … go, go, go, go, go!"
Baines is heard asking for directions as the officers pointed him toward the suspect's direction. After a brief drive, the officer signaled for her partner, who was carrying a flashlight, to join them. She opened the car door, and the second officer quickly got into the backseat.
The officers rode with Baines for several minutes, scanning the area. Eventually, one of them appeared to spot the suspect. Both officers then exited the Uber and continued their pursuit on foot.
"What the f---?!" Baines exclaimed as the officers swiftly departed his car.
"It caught me completely off guard," Baines later told Storyful. "I’ve never had anything like that happen driving. I was surprised but just did what the officer asked in the moment."
Police Confirm Details of Unusual Pursuit
Houston police officials confirmed the authenticity of the video and the incident to local station KPRC 2. The report indicated that officers had been responding to a call regarding a terroristic threat. The suspect allegedly threatened to shoot a woman and her children after becoming agitated, believing someone had stolen from him.
Law enforcement stated that officers attempted to apprehend the man as he exited an apartment, but he resisted cooperation and fled. An officer subsequently requested the driver to transport them around the block to the apartment complex, where the officers eventually returned to their own patrol vehicle, according to KPRC 2.
Despite the unexpected assistance from the rideshare driver, authorities were ultimately unable to locate the suspect. His identity has not been publicly released, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Driver Confirms Involvement and Background
Baines later seemed to verify his role in the incident through a social media post, writing, "Yep, that was me. The Uber driver whose dashcam caught two HPD officers jumping in my car to chase a suspect."
He described himself as an Army veteran, a husband, and a father of two. Baines explained that he began driving for Uber as a means for him and his wife to save money towards purchasing their first home.