RICHMOND HILL, Ontario — Dramatic bodycam and dashcam footage released Monday shows a York Regional Police officer sneaking across a grassy median and tackling a motorcyclist off his bike after the rider allegedly fled the scene of a collision and appeared to mock pursuing officers.
The incident unfolded Aug. 9 at the intersection of 16th Avenue and Mural Street. Police say a 42-year-old rider was involved in a crash, then refused an officer’s direction to return and exchange information. When told he was under arrest, the man drove off anyway.
Minutes later, video captures the rider sitting on his motorcycle near the roadside. An officer quietly exits a cruiser that had pulled onto the grass, approaches from behind while the rider’s back is turned, and takes him to the ground. Officers later displayed a license plate reading “RUN THIS.” Police reported no injuries in either the original collision or the arrest.
York Regional Police posted the footage with a football-season quip: “You could say our officers are happy the NFL is back.” They added, “Rule number 1 of football: keep your head on a swivel.”The rider now faces charges including failing to stop after an accident, flight from a peace officer, driving without insurance, and using an unauthorized plate.
The video underscores a simple point police have long made: when someone walks away from a crash and then sits in plain view as if daring officers to act, the encounter can end quickly and without a high-speed chase. Officers used a low-profile approach rather than a dangerous pursuit through traffic. The department’s lighthearted NFL comparison captured the moment an officer closed the distance while the rider remained unaware.
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