AssetID: 55542681
Headline: Stop thief! Dramatic footage shows moment suspect leaps from second floor window to evade arrest
Caption: Dramatic police footage shows a fleeing thief leaping from a second-floor window to evade arrest. When officers tried to arrest Bobby Thorpe, he refused them entry to the Tonbridge property, prompting them to force their way inside. But when a loud crash was heard outside, officers ran to the side of the building and expressed disbelief at his high-risk escape bid. Noticing broken tiles on a neighbouring garage, PC Ben Cooper jumped over a fence and pursued the suspect. During the clip, he can be heard repeatedly saying: “Surely not?” During the chase, a member of the public shouted the direction the 33-year-old had taken, and the officer then spotted Thorpe entering a garden. Shortly afterwards, PC Cooper leapt onto a gate and saw the suspect hiding in a corner. Thorpe, who was arrested less than 80 seconds after jumping from the window, could be heard telling an arresting officer from the Community Safety Unit: “I just jumped out a window, mate – I hit my head on the roof, bruv.” Chief Inspector Mark Stubberfield said: “Every day police officers go above and beyond to try and catch offenders and keep the public safe. “In this incident, they were quick to suspect what had happened, despite their initial disbelief, and were able to act quickly and arrest Thorpe in just over a minute. “Our officers are dedicated to catching criminals. In January alone, we had a 73.9% solve rate for shoplifting offences in Tonbridge and Malling, which shows how committed we are to tackling crimes that affect the community. “This arrest is another example of the lengths officers will go to in order to achieve that, and I am incredibly proud of them all.” Thorpe, of Royal West Kent Avenue in Tonbridge, was sentenced to 36 weeks’ imprisonment for offences including theft, handling stolen goods and fraud, following his arrest on the morning of Thursday, January 8.
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