A wanted man led Nottinghamshire Police officers on a chase after he failed to stop. The suspect was was being pursued by police in Rosemary Street, Mansfield, as officers suspected he had been involved in an assault in the area.
The chase initially began along Mansfield Road on Wednesday, August 18 2021, after officers spotted a Ford Focus and received intelligence that the person inside was a wanted man. The driver, later found to be Ryan Straw, became spooked and sped away from officers. The incident is shown on the latest episode of Police Interceptors on Channel 5.
Turning suddenly into Chesterfield Road South, officers kept sight of the car from a distance as it made its way into West Bank Avenue, reaching speeds of 50mph in a 30mph speed limit and blindly overtaking other cars. Whilst trying to get away from police, Straw narrowly missed another car which was pulling out of the junction as he attempted to flee.
Coming to a halt in Misterton Court, Mansfield, Straw decided to switch four wheels for two feet and ran away from officers on foot and into the nearby estate. Multiple units and the police drone were deployed to hunt him down. Despite initially evading officers, officers descended on Straw’s Mansfield home just over a week later, and brought him into police custody.
The 30-year-old, formally of Muskham Court, Mansfield, appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on November 10 charged with assault and criminal damage. He was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, ordered to pay £128 compensation and handed a two-year restraining order, having pleaded guilty to all the charges.
Recalling the incident, PC Broughton said: “As we were keeping track of the car and following him, we noticed that Straw began to keep plenty of space ahead of him when he stopped at junctions and was regularly looking in his mirrors. In our experience this usually means they’re nervous or making sure they can break away if needed.
“As we noticed this, we began to set the wheels in motion for a tactical stop with a stinger to try and bring him to a halt before it got to the stage of a high-speed pursuit. However, before we were able to do this, he got spooked and he put his foot down.
“Despite tracking and keeping up with him as effectively and safely as possible, he did evade police that evening. However, thanks to the efforts of officers on foot, the police drone and intelligence, we were able to acquire valuable evidence and he was brought into custody. He was sent before the courts for both offences not long after."
