At least one of the officer’s fortune cookies must have said something about having good luck. Two cops were having a break eating dinner at a Panda Express in California when they clocked a fugitive stepping into the restaurant. They had been trying to catch the man for a month, but he had already escaped them twice by running onto the freeway.
Officers get a lucky break at Panda Express
On July 17 at around 8:32 p.m., a fugitive who had eluded the cops twice was spotted walking into a Panda Express in Monrovia when two officers inside recognized him, according to a report by ABC7 and a post by the Monrovia Police Department on Instagram.
As caught on bodycam footage, one of the cops was having beef and broccoli with a side of chow mein when they looked over from the table and saw the wanted man stepping into the line at the popular Chinese chain restaurant. The pair did a double take as they confirmed what they were actually seeing.
The officers had previously attempted to arrest the man for a no-bail felony probation warrant on two separate occasions, both seen at the end of the video. But the fugitive was able to escape both times by running dangerously onto the freeway, preventing the officers from giving chase.
Not wanting to let this chance escape them, the cops decided to take action while the man didn’t notice them as he walked in. One of the officers is seen grabbing the fugitive from behind and pushing him against the wall, as the other turns him on his back and puts him in handcuffs.
When the man asks what he did, the officer responds, “You’ve been wanted, you’ve been running from me for like a month.”
The post writes, “At this point, we’re not sure if it was good police work, bad timing, or the irresistible smell of chow mein. Either way, an arrest was made.”
Officials did not identify the male suspect’s name or what the fugitive has been charged with. But at least the officers were able to go back to their meal after the arrest.
“Don’t worry the officers went back for their food and finished their chow mein,” the post continued. “Priorities.”
