Watch Okla. Police Officer Ride on Hood of Civilian Car to Catch Fleeing Mini-Biker During Chase

An Oklahoma police officer hitched a ride on the hood of a bystander's car to chase down a fleeing mini-bike rider earlier this month.

The unusual pursuit happened at around 8 p.m. March 6 when an Oklahoma City police officer spotted two mini-bikes traveling without headlights, KOKH-TV reports. When the officer tried to stop the bikers, they sped away, kicking off chase.

At some point, the bikers separated, but the officer continued after one of the suspects. The fleeing biker eventually drove through a residential yard, forcing the officer out of his cruiser so he could pursue on foot.

In body camera footage released by the department, the biker is seen returning to the street with the officer running in pursuit. That's when the officer spotted a nearby motorist and took a chance on appealing to the driver's sense of civic responsibility. 

"I observed a passing vehicle with the driver’s window down," the officer wrote in his report, according to KOKH. "I made contact with the driver and quickly determined that the driver was willing to assist law enforcement in maintaining visual contact with the fleeing violator."

Not wasting time to open the vehicle's door and climb inside, the officer jumped onto the hood of the bystander's vehicle instead to continue the chase.

"Drive! Drive! Drive! Drive!" the officer is heard yelling to the driver, who takes off after the suspect, sporting a one-of-a-kind hood ornament.

The chase spanned another few blocks, with the officer doing his best impression of a hood ornament the entire time. Despite the potentially hazardous nature of his actions, the officer said he took precautions to ensure no one involved was injured.

"The assisting citizen operated his vehicle cautiously, obeyed all traffic laws, and maintained a safe speed throughout the process," his report stated. "At all times, I ensured that my actions did not place the assisting citizen or the public at risk, and the pursuit continued with due regard for public safety."

Finally, the car closed in on the mini-bike, and the officer lept off the hood and tackled the suspect off his bike. The suspect was handcuffed and taken into custody.

"What a great outstanding citizen, he gave me a ride," the officer tells someone at the scene as the suspect is put into a cruiser.