Police officer borrows man’s bike to chase drug dealer and take him down

Sometimes people are just in the right place at the right time. 

That was certainly the case for one member of the public who let a police officer borrow his bike to chase after a drug dealer on the run.

When cops arrived at the scene of a suspected drug deal in Northampton town centre, the suspect fled on his bike.

But PC Lewis Marks was keen not to be outfoxed and drove to Beckets Park to intercept the criminal we now know to be Sean Prosser as he believed that’s where he would go.

His hunch was right and when police arrived at the park, a passer-by told PC Marks that he’d spotted Prosser, 28, escaping on a bicycle. 

However, a barrier at the entrance to the park blocked PC Marks from going any further, meaning he was left with no choice but to pursue Prosser on foot.

It was hopeless and PC Marks turned back towards his van. But then a cyclist helped save the day.

By pure chance, the cyclist just happened to be riding past a matter of yards from the police van on August 23 this year.

‘Can I borrow your bike?’ PC Marks shouts. ‘Let me borrow your bike?’

Without hesitating, the cyclist hands over the bike and the officer jumps on it then immediately sets off.

‘I’m on a bike, I’m in pursuit,’ PC Marks says over the radio as bodycam footage shows him racing across the park and along pavements to try and track down Prosser.

He then spots Prosser opposite St John’s car park and the video shows PC Marks smashing the bike into the suspect to knock him down to the ground. 

Backup quickly arrived and Prosser was surrounded and arrested.

PC Marks told colleagues: ‘Yeah I’ve rammed him off his bike.

‘I’m going to get this back to its owner, I’ve just grabbed it from a member of the public.’

In a heartwarming moment, PC Marks passes the man’s bike back to him at the park and shakes his hand.

He tells the member of the public: ‘Mate, I caught him. I wouldn’t have caught him without your help.

‘I really appreciate that. Cheers.’

The man is also heard saying ‘thank you’ to PC Marks.

Following a search, Prosser, of no fixed abode, was found to be in possession of a large quantity of cash and phones with messages related to drugs supply on them.

A CT scan the next day also identified a plugged kinder egg toy case which contained wraps of heroin and crack cocaine.

Prosser was charged with two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, escaping from lawful custody, acquiring/using/possessing criminal property, being concerned in the supply of cocaine, and being concerned in the supply of heroin.

He pleaded guilty to the offences at Northampton Crown Court at the beginning of October and returned to the same court on December 1 where he was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison.  

Neighbourhood policing inspector Beth Warren said: ‘This incident was an example of good old fashioned policing where our officers and members of the public worked together to take down a man whose actions were a blight on the community.

‘The quick-thinking of PC Marks ensured Prosser was arrested swiftly and I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank the member of the public who let us borrow his bike.

‘Tackling drug harm is a matter of priority for Northamptonshire Police and I hope this case demonstrates how quickly we act on community intelligence in order to make our town a nicer place to live.’

Back in September, another police officer borrowed a schoolboy’s bike to chase down a suspect.

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