A Houston Uber driver, Anthony Baines, found himself unexpectedly caught up in a police chase when two officers commandeered his vehicle to pursue a suspect on foot. This unusual encounter was recorded on Baines’ dashcam just after midnight on August 8 in the Houston Heights neighborhood.
According to Storyful, Baines was on a routine ride when a shirtless man dashed across the road, pursued by two officers from the Houston Police Department (HPD). One of the officers flagged down Baines, jumped into the front passenger seat, and directed him to follow the suspect.
“Hey, give me a ride over there please,” the officer urged in the video. “Go, go that way … go, go, go, go, go!”
Baines asked for directions while driving and picked up the officer’s partner, who carried a flashlight, before they continued the search. Though they eventually spotted the suspect, both officers exited the Uber to resume the chase on foot.
Reflecting on the experience, Baines expressed surprise. “It caught me completely off guard,” he stated, noting this was unique in his driving career. “I was surprised but just did what the officer asked in the moment.” The authenticity of the dashcam footage was confirmed by Houston police to KPRC 2, revealing that officers had been responding to a terroristic threat. Allegedly, the suspect threatened a woman and her children following a dispute.
Despite Baines’s assist, the suspect remains at large. Police have not released the individual’s identity, and the case remains under investigation. Baines later identified himself in a social media post related to the incident, further detailing his background as an Army veteran, husband, and father saving for a home through his Uber job.
Fox News Digital reached out to the HPD and Uber for additional comments.