Police: While Handcuffed, Shoplifting Suspect Stole Police Car
Howard County MD May 22 2019
After police in Howard County arrested a man suspected of stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise from an Ellicott City Walmart, he allegedly then stole the police car officers put him in.
Jerome Rucker, 32, of Nottingham, faces numerous charges, including theft, auto theft, resisting arrest, drug possession, failure to obey a lawful order, and escape.
Police were called at around 10 p.m. Sunday for a theft in progress at the Walmart in the 3200 block of North Ridge Road.
“An officer arrived and saw a suspect with about $3,000 worth of merchandise, and when the officer approached him, he took off running,” police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn said.
Police say Rucker moved the handcuffs in the front of his body while in the back seat of the police vehicle, got the front seat of the when the officer was collecting evidence inside the store, and then took a joy ride while still handcuffed.
“It’s not as uncommon as people might think that people, especially of a smaller stature, are sometimes able to manipulate their way in a way that enables them to bring their handcuffs to the front of their body,” Llewellyn said.
Llewellyn says Rucker drove from Howard County into Baltimore County and then into Baltimore City, but didn’t realize one thing about the police cruiser.
“We were able to track the police vehicle using GPS technology, which all of our police vehicles have, and then he was intercepted in Baltimore and taken into custody,” Llewellyn said.
Police arrested Tucker after a foot chase.. Police are reviewing how this situation happened.
“It’s standard procedure that an internal review is done in a case like this just to confirm that correct protocol wad followed by officers in the incident,” Llewellyn said.
Rucker is in the Howard County Detention Center without bond.
