On-call 'casual cop' dispatched to wild chase with no time to change
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- On Thursday, we watched a wild police chase unfold on ABC13.
It started in Baytown and ended on the South Freeway near McGregor.
Officers arrested Eric Brown for evading. Police say he ran from them after allegedly threatening his newlywed wife with a gun.
RELATED: Wild chase sparked by Baytown newlywed allegedly threatening his wife with gun
Near the end of the chase, the suspect was cornered at the South 610 Loop and Kirby. One officer in particular stood out: Senior Officer Steven Hamala.
Hamala was off work that day, but on call. As the chase was underway, Hamala was out running errands.
"Just dropping my daughter off at daycare," Hamala recalled that morning.
He was listening as the chase continued.
"I heard this chase coming from the east side of town," said Hamala.
Then duty called. He found himself heading right toward it. He made it to the scene just as the suspect was boxed in at the South Loop and Kirby.
"Usually, I've had time to change," said Hamala.
But this time he didn't. SkyEye 13 video showed him on scene in plaid shorts running into action.
"Just exited the vehicle and crossed the barricade to get an angle so I could see the suspect in the vehicle," said Hamala.
As they waited in position, the suspect suddenly took off.
"I thought, 'Okay, well, here we go again," said Hamala.
Soon after, officers cornered the suspect again and arrested him. Afterwards, Officer Hamala's attire spread across social media with the hash tag casual cop.
#CASUALCOP: Who is the guy in plaid shorts during chase?
"That's pretty funny," said Hamala. As for his shorts, you may not see them again. "I've got a plan for those shorts. They'll be retired in some fashion," said Hamala.
