Bodycam: Ohio Police Chase Down Runaway Inflatable Pumpkin

It wasn't the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, but Parma Heights police pursued a giant inflatable pumpkin that got loose and began rolling down a neighborhood street.

Joe Vince

Oct. 13, 2025

What to know

Parma Heights police chased down a runaway inflatable pumpkin rolling through a neighborhood on Oct. 8, bodycam video shows.
Officers eventually caught and loaded the oversized decoration into their cruiser.
The department said the pumpkin was “detained and returned to its owner without incident,” joking it was an example of officers going above and beyond.

Police are used to chases, from going after speeders to tracking down fleeing suspects. But these Ohio officers had their hands full with an unusual pursuit last week: running down a giant inflatable pumpkin.

The incident happened Oct. 8 when Parma Heights police officers spotted the massive blow-up Halloween home decoration tumbling down a neighborhood street, the department stated in a news release. Body camera footage captured police as they tried to capture the elusive gourd.

Once they apprehended the pumpkin, officers deflated the decoration and stuffed it into their cruiser.

“I've never seen that before,” an officer says in the video.

"The pumpkin was quickly detained and returned to its owner without incident," the department stated. "Just another example of our officers going above and beyond, even for seasonal décor!"

About the Author

Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.