10 Crazy Police Escapes Caught on Camera

10 Crazy Police Escapes Caught on Camera

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re exploring the most infamous, most insane, and most baffling times in history when suspects attempted to escape facing the legal system. We’ll be examining notorious police chases, jailbreaks, and custody escapes, and see just how far they got.

Judge Chase

When it comes to suspects running from the authorities, typically it's police officers pursuing them. Well, that wasn’t the case when Tanner Jacobson and Kodey Howard made a break for it in 2018. While at a courthouse in Chehalis, Washington, the duo decided to make a break for it before being escorted from court and back into custody. Like Clark Kent changing into Superman, Judge R.W. Buzzard took off his robe and chased after them through the building. Eventually, he managed to grab hold of Howard before he could get out a fire escape. Unfortunately for Jacobson, having only made it a few blocks from the courtroom, he was caught shortly after.

Helpful Trucker

In 1993, the police were chasing after a stolen vehicle in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, that had alleged armed suspects within. With the cops struggling to apprehend the car and having to dodge highway traffic, one officer had a clever idea. They got on the radio and asked whether any truck drivers could assist by blocking the stolen car. Well, one of the drivers who answered the call was a retired deputy sheriff from Alabama. With the former cop’s vast experience in similar situations, they carefully thwarted the stolen vehicle across two lanes, forcing the suspects to drive off-road several times. With another cop car closing the gap and the frustration from the truck’s skills, the suspects gave up and pulled over.

The Quick Departure

Seemingly, all it takes is the briefest of windows for a suspect to make a break for it. In 2015, Gerald Hyde II, who was convicted of possessing illegal substances, was leaving a courtroom in Benton County, Washington, along with others. Yet when the officers took their eyes off him, Hyde took his chance. Captured on the building’s CCTV, Hyde slipped away. He used his prison shirt to hide his handcuffs and kicked off his jail shoes as he went through rooms searching for freedom. With confused onlookers left in his wake, Hyde managed to get outside without being immediately pursued. However, he only enjoyed his escape for two hours before being recaptured by the police. Unsurprisingly, the courthouse re-evaluated its security after Hyde’s antics.

Skating Away

In 2023, Pedro Villalobos had allegedly stolen a pick-up truck with an attached trailer in Los Angeles, California. In the early hours, a chase with police got underway. Yet after managing to get the vehicle to stop, the officers pointed their weapons at him, likely believing the pursuit was over. However, Villalobos had other ideas and unleashed his inner Tony Hawk. He quickly got out of the car and raced away on a skateboard as the police ran and drove after him. Remarkably, Villalobos managed to get away for a while, despite the many cops after him. However, one officer managed to touch the suspect on the back, causing Sk8er Boi to lose his balance and get the ‘cuffs put on.

Officer Alligator

Police departments already have K-9 units. And after this, they might have to get an alligator one too. In 2026, after getting reports of reckless driving, the police pulled over Victor Rivas in Louisiana. Rather than comply, the suspect got out of the car and took off on foot by jumping from an elevated section of Interstate 310 and into the swamps. As caught on police bodycam, an officer tracked Rivas down. However, while in the swamp, the suspect was attacked by an alligator. Despite having both arms injured, Rivas managed to get away from the reptile and the police. However, a drone team soon spotted the escapee, and officers swept in to arrest him.

The Ejected Chase

In 2026, officers in Camden, Arkansas, attempted to pull over Tyrice Fletcher for an alleged traffic violation. Yet he sped away as the cops chased him, with the pursuit reaching 100 miles per hour. The officers claimed they had no idea Fletcher had his four children in the vehicle with him at the time. As the suspect tried to turn at high speed, he lost control of the vehicle. It went off-road before it struck a pole, causing the car to flip several times. Eventually, it landed near live electrical wires. During that dramatic crash, an infant was thrown from the vehicle. Thankfully, despite minor injuries, both the infant and the others in the car were fine, and Fletcher was arrested.

Canadian 'Copter

“The Shawshank Redemption” escape was nowhere near as dramatic as this. In 2013, inmates Benjamin Hudon-Barbeau and Danny Provençal had enough of being locked up in a prison in Saint-Jérôme, Canada. So, they used a rope to climb the building's exterior and into a waiting helicopter on the roof to take them away. However, they didn’t manage to get all the way up, and the ‘copter had to take off with them dangling from the rope. Within hours, both inmates were caught. Alongside his escape, Hudon-Barbeau was later convicted of ordering murders and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a chance of parole after 35 years. With his escape and several other charges, Provençal was sentenced to 15 years in jail.

The 2025 New Orleans Jail Break

It’s terrifying when one alleged killer escapes jail. Yet in this incident, there were several. In 2025, ten inmates at the Orleans Parish Prison in New Orleans, Louisiana, worked together to cut a hole behind a toilet to escape from their holdings. The majority of this group were accused of murder or attempted murder. After leaving behind obscene and poorly written graffiti, the inmates scaled a wall to freedom. Five months later, the final escapee was captured by the authorities. 16 people were charged with accessory, including relatives of the inmates and workers at the prison. In 2026, Sheriff Susan Hutson was indicted on several counts of malfeasance and other charges for her alleged poor management aiding the mass escape.

The Barefoot Bandit

For a couple of years, the Barefoot Bandit was an infamous celebrity. After all, on top of accusations of many thefts, some of which he did without shoes and led to his nickname, Colton Harris Moore reportedly used a DVD to teach himself to fly planes, resulting in him stealing multiple aircraft. In 2010, with the police on his tail, Moore pinched a plane from an Indiana airport and piloted himself to the Bahamas. However, he was captured when he attempted to escape the cops again with a boat, before officers shot the vessel’s engine. After being deported from the Bahamas, Moore faced multiple charges in the US. In 2011, he was sentenced to seven years in jail and was released in 2016.

The Infamous Bronco Chase

As people watched TV in 1994, instead of the scheduled programming, their screens suddenly switched to an active police chase in Greater Los Angeles, California. Yet, rather than being a typical pursuit, one of those being chased by the cops was the beloved athlete and actor O. J. Simpson. Being driven in Al Cowlings’s white Ford Bronco, the duo took officers on a low-speed pursuit across the area. At the time, Simpson had failed to turn himself into the police in connection to the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ron Goldman. After two hours, Cowling drove to Simpson’s estate in Brentwood and surrendered. Simpson was later acquitted of the murders at the criminal trial.

Are there any other insane police escapes we missed in the video? Let us know below!