Handcuffed man steals HPD car, leads police on chase

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A man in handcuffs led police on a chase in a stolen squad car in southeast Houston overnight.

It all started with a traffic stop at the Gulf Freeway near Reveille. Police say the driver was under the influence and was placed in the back of the patrol car.

When the officer was talking to the man's passengers, the suspect maneuvered his cuffs and drove off in the patrol vehicle.

"From that point the suspect took the patrol car and ended up in the 7700 block of Joplin where he crashed the patrol car into a tree," said Sgt. C. B. Nickerson with the Houston Police Department.

The man tried to run away but was caught a short time later with the help of a helicopter and K-9 units. He is facing multiple charges including DWI, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and fleeing.