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Cyclist floors 'cyclist' being chased by police and helps reunite cyclist with stolen bike

Man whose own bike had been stolen last month takes hands-on approach to tackling bike crime

A California man whose own bicycle was stolen last month floored a thief on Tuesday with a tackle that sounds worthy of last weekend’s Superbowl to help someone else get theirs back.

Perhaps inspired by having watched American Football’s finest go head to head on Sunday, 54-year-old Carlos Babcock had no hesitation in grappling with a man heading towards him on a mountain bike and being chased by police officers in San Jose, reports the Silicon Valley Mercury News.

Mr Babcock’s own Surly Long Haul Trucker bike had been stolen in January, the newspaper adding that since he does not have a car, it was his prime mode of transport.

Talking of the moment he brought the would-be thief of someone else’s bike to a sudden stop, he said: "He's barreling down this narrow part of the sidewalk. He's coming at me full speed. He's giving it all he's got. I wrapped my arms around him. It was a pretty good collision.

The sidewalk in question, reports the newspaper, is a narrow one. "There's not a lot of room for me and that guy," he added. "And I'm a fairly big guy. I figured I had the advantage physically." At 6 feet tall and weighing in at a little over 16 stones, he has a point.

San Jose Police Sergeant Jason Dwyer explained two of his officers had decided to stop the cyclist after seeing him riding against traffic and committing a series of traffic violations.

He said that when the suspect looked round and saw the patrol car, he "had a look of surprise," then stood up on the pedals and took off. One officer chased him on foot, the other following in the car.

"The distance they chased him was pretty significant," added Sergeant Dwyer.

Mr Babcock, who the newspaper adds is a member of the city's bike pedestrian advisory committee, put his arms round the cyclist’s waist and pulled him to the ground then told him, "Stay put. The cops are coming." For his efforts, Babcock suffered minor grazes.

Police identified the suspect as 20-year-old Richard Higgerson and in his rucksack they discovered a Kryptonite bike lock that had been broken with bolt cutters, plus tools used in burglaries, according to Sergeant Dwyer.

He was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest, grand theft, possession of burglary tools and being under the influence of a controlled substance.

The bike was reported to have been stolen from outside a branch of Starbucks and traced the owner, who had the key to the lock found in Higgerson’s rucksack.

The latter also confessed to stealing another bike, which he had left at the Starbucks where he had stolen the one he was riding when he was intercepted.

"Mr. Babcock should be commended for his actions," said Sergeant Dwyer, who added that there had been a spate of bike thefts in the area.

He added: "We ask that citizens be a good witness and not try to take physical action. At the same time, we're grateful he stepped in and helped us capture this individual."

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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7 comments

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raysauce | 12 years ago
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This is awesome. I wish someone had put forth the effort to catch the guy who stoled my bike a few months ago. All in all I ended up getting a new bike like this one http://www.2wheelbikes.com/se-draft-10-dirty-gold-road-bike.html

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hellarob | 12 years ago
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I wish that happened to everybody who rides on the sidewalk.

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mad_scot_rider | 12 years ago
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A good outcome

But I can't avoid a little niggle in my mind about how many ways it could have gone badly wrong

*sigh* Maybe I'm just a product of the UK's nanny state

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dino replied to mad_scot_rider | 12 years ago
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I am surprised by the comments from this post. Have the laws in the UK essentially paralyzed citizens and nullified good samaritans? This kind of thing happens regularly in America. Yes, in some case, the thief or thug tries to 'lawyer-up' but it rarely has the outcome against the citizen who stood his or her ground... you can read stories like this across the States every week. The police just can't be everywhere-all the time. Citizens have to be willing to look out for one another. Cops need help out there! My best friend is a police officer and a week doesn't go by without some citizen giving him a tip or giving him a hand in some manner! Look out for yourselves and give cops a hand! If the laws are flawed, vote for those who will put the law back in the hands of the citizens and not the criminals!!!!

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Angelfishsolo | 12 years ago
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I wonder what would have happened in the UK. The thief would probably sue Mr Babcock for assault. Anyway kudos to him and his actions. The world needs more people like him  1

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Paulo replied to Angelfishsolo | 12 years ago
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Angelfishsolo wrote:

I wonder what would have happened in the UK. The thief would probably sue Mr Babcock for assault. Anyway kudos to him and his actions. The world needs more people like him  1

The U.S.A is where we got the suing culture from... so your comment is a little strange  39

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sloop | 12 years ago
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Well done, Mr Babcock. He must have been mighty peeved at having his Surly nicked.

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