Bodycam: Texas Police Officer's Joke about 'Narcotics-Smelling Horse' Has Suspect Running

A joke about a "narcotics-smelling horse" by a Texas police officer on mounted patrol was enough to send a suspect running, kicking off a chase between steed and man.

The incident involving the Lubbock Police Department's Mounted Patrol happened just before 2 p.m. Monday, and the department posted body camera footage from the interaction on social media. Officers on horseback were helping colleagues who had stopped a man for walking on the road instead of the road, KCBD-TV reports.

Believing the man was acting suspiciously, officers asked if they could see the contents of his pockets, and the man refused. That's when officer William Trotter, one of the members of the Mounted Patrol, joked that he had a "narcotics-smelling horse."

"I was going to make a joke because it seemed like it was going to break some tension," Trotter told KCBD. "You know, it seemed like it was kind of stiff for a second there."

The suspect took Trotter seriously, however, and bolted from the scene. Trotter and fellow Mounted Patrol Officer Bryson Lewis quickly caught up with the man, who was taken into custody.

“Somebody is silly enough to eventually run from a horse. I don’t know why it happens. We are going to outrun them,” said Trotter.

The 42-year-old man was arrested and charged with evading arrest and tampering with physical evidence with the intent to impair.

“We are cops first. We enjoy this job," Lewis told KCBD. "Chasing bad guys is part of the fun in it for us, so when you get to chase down a bad guy and not even get tired, it’s a good day.