The suspect—identified as John Raspitha, "who has a long history with police," the department stated—wouldn't comply, and a chase ensued. Officers tried to stop the van using PIT maneuvers, but they were unsuccessful.
The pursuit finally ended when Raspitha got a flat tire, and police were able to execute a successful PIT maneuver. Officers ordered Raspitha to exit the vehicle, but he refused.
Police tried to breach the window with a 40mm launcher, but that was unsuccessful. Using a tool to shatter a window, police deployed pepper ball rounds into the van.
"John’s response?" the department stated. "He lit a cigarette, told officers he’d come out after he finished it, and sat back for a smoke break. Spoiler: pepper balls don’t wait, and neither do we. He quickly exited on his own."
Raspitha was taken into custody, and he faces multiple charges, including motor vehicle theft and eluding. Raspitha's past charges include drug trafficking and assault.
Multiple stolen credit/debit cards and IDs were recovered from the stolen van.
"Moral of the story: If you run, we’ll catch you. Every. Single. Time. And no, smoke breaks aren’t part of the deal," the department stated.
