A traffic stop on a busy stretch of a Center City street escalated into a short chase that left a police bicycle crushed and an arrest, police said.
Police stopped a silver Chevrolet on Walnut Street between Broad and 15th streets around 11 a.m. Wednesday. A bicycle officer pulled in front of the car to prevent the driver from pulling away.
A witness said the driver then tried to drive off, running over the police bike. The Chevrolet then struck the back of an SUV. Boxed in by traffic, the suspect and a passenger tried to flee the scene on foot but were stopped by the bicycle officer who took them into custody after a brief struggle, investigators said.
"It was pretty crazy," said Sandy Pope, a witness. "It's not every day that you see the cops chasing down a guy right in front of you."
The driver, who has not yet been identified, was taken into custody and charged with resisting arrest. The bike officer suffered minor injuries during the ordeal.
