Early one Monday morning in 2001, work commuters were stopped in their tracks at the sight of a stolen ute swerving through the City of Sydney with a police officer in its tray.
Officer Jeff Garland had approached a stolen vehicle to make a drug-related arrest when the driver took off.
In a split-second decision, Garland launched himself into the ute tray to stop him getting away.
Ex-cop Jeff Garland unpacks the full story on this episode of the Crime Insiders podcast:
“There’s just people everywhere. We’re going towards this intersection pedestrian crossing and there’s people walking across. I’m thinking, this is not going to end well,” Garland said.
The driver was swerving and breaking harshly in an attempt to buck Garland off the back of the car. Garland clutched onto a piece of rope tied to the ute and reached for his radio.
“Redfern 45 Urgent. I’m in the trailer of a stolen ute and the radio operator’s gone: Just confirming you’re in pursuit of the vehicle? I said no, I’m in the tray at the back radio. I need some assistance,” Garland said.
“I can shoot him. Which could end the pursuit, but also could kill a member of the public on the way to work. Or I can just hope that this is going to end well,” he said.
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Police chased the vehicle until it crashed into a street sign and spun out on a patch of grass. The offender started running on foot, until an incredible twist of fate saw him arrested.
“The driver ended up running into a building full of police on a training day. Of all the buildings, that’s karma for you.”
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