Chicago cop chases down gunman on Segway

Believe it or not, Chicago policeman Thaddeus Martyka isn't the first cop to chase down a crook with the help of a Segway, but nevertheless, the two-wheeled wonder is to thank for yet another arrest. Whilst patrolling the streets and enjoying the summer breeze, the officer heard shots fired and decided to wheel over and see what the commotion was all about. Sure enough, the baddies were found scurrying away from the scene of a crime, and while one suspect managed to escape, the other wasn't so fortunate. Purportedly, the Segway reached a top speed of 12.5mph, which proved plenty fast to capture (and likely humiliate) at least one of the ill-willed individuals.

[Image courtesy of PoliceOne]

[Finney ([e-mail]) @ Sep 4th 2007 9:09AM]

Yes, when I was on holiday in Benidorm, Spain, on the beach front of shops I saw 2 or 3 police officers on the same things. I was amazed at first to see the police force using them.

[Je2037 @ Sep 4th 2007 9:19AM]

chubby cops on segways...hilarious

[SimbaDogg @ Sep 6th 2007 2:08PM]

correction, chubby cops getting even chubbier on segways

[Mighty Tomahawk @ Sep 4th 2007 9:23AM]

Not that the Segway isn't dorky enough but add fanny packs to them and you've just created something truly horrific. And to the man caught by the 2 wheeled wonder...good job that’s about as embarrassing as Lebron James losing one on one to Pee Wee Herman.

[T @ Sep 4th 2007 9:25AM]

Police segment seems to be their (Segway) focus lately.
The re-designed web site also shows more pictures of policeman riding it. http://www.segway.com/index.php

[Michael @ Sep 4th 2007 9:32AM]

Hey I need help:

I don't have a bus to high school, and we live like 3mi away-hills. It's because we're "too close" according to my school district. And I've rented a Segway for an hour or so, and am addicted.

So how do I convince my parents to plunk down around $4700 for one?
(The shop gives credit for the rentals (and there was 6 of us then so it was total 300-400).
I'm getting a ride to school with a friend in less than an hours, but a segway would be cooler, and geeks (read: me) aren't cool. First day of school today. >:(

[Homeboy @ Sep 4th 2007 9:38AM]

Instead of laying down 47 Gs for a Segway, use the money for the following:

*Drivers license
*Car
*New ipod(coming out on Wednesday) + FM transmitter
*Last but not least a cute high school girlfriend.

[Ayle @ Sep 4th 2007 9:47AM]

Or get a bike 3mi is not a great distance,,, at least for me....

[Phillip Lamb @ Sep 4th 2007 9:52AM]

Yeah dude, biking is the way to go - you can go faster than 12.5mph, and you don't have to recharge it. Plus, 6 miles a day is nothing to laugh at, you'll get in pretty good shape if you do it.

[teej @ Sep 4th 2007 10:00AM]

@Homeboy

he said $4700, not $47000.

[Bad Beaver @ Sep 4th 2007 10:03AM]

I'll chime in on that. Get a bike. It's good for you.

[Wayde @ Sep 4th 2007 10:30AM]

True, use a bike. I ride 13 miles a day. The 6.5miles takes about 20 mins through the city.

Riding a bike is way cooler than a segway (just picture yourself after the 1st mile when your battery unexpectedly dies - then you will just look like a tool)

[apeguero @ Sep 4th 2007 11:06AM]

Use a bike man. I think it's way cooler than these wheel-podium for the lazy.

[Michael @ Sep 4th 2007 4:13PM]

I would gladly bike but I can't bike up a 1.5 mile steep hill with 20+ pounds of crap on my back after a day of school in 110 degree heat. Then come home and work. Oh what does make things a bit better is that we have a new road which shortens it to only 2.4 ish miles, but if ads another sorta large hill. Biking will probably be better when I get books on CD/DVD (my MacBook is way lighter than 2 textbooks) and when I don't have PE.

Oh and as a trade of to my sister getting a new computer I think I get the free iPod.

[mattymatt @ Sep 5th 2007 1:39AM]

If you like Segways, you'll love Vespas.

[Gus @ Sep 5th 2007 2:40PM]

I have a red i180 Segway, which I've used from senior year of high school now into college. And let me tell you straight up, Segways are chick magnets. Once you own one, you'll literally have the entire cheerleading team want to go out with you. If you're still single, you won't be for long.

Second of all, I got mine from my parents. I get them to agree that if I won any major scholarships, they'd buy me one. And I won a $60k scholarship in my junior year of high school, so I was set.

As for exercise, even though I have a Segway, I still bike 60-100 miles every week for recreation. I don't bike to work just because I hated having to change/shower on hot days at work.

And last, but not least, when it comes to people saying that Segways are stupid, I like to go an quote Apple's Think Different speech. "...And while some see them as the crazy ones, We see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, Are the ones who do." Because while everyone is all worried about "that looks stupid", I'm actually _doing_ something to help the environment, to buy a product designed and made in the USA, and to lessen the amount of money that I spend that lines the pockets of Middle Eastern oil.

(BTW: Mac OS X (and Linux) for the win!)

[tekdroid @ Sep 7th 2007 2:38AM]

Gus @ Sep 5th 2007 2:40PM:
Because while everyone is all worried about "that looks stupid", I'm actually _doing_ something to help the environment...
=============
enjoy your 500 charge/discharge cycles before throwing out the battery for a new one.

Enjoy needless electricity production for short trips.

Most of all enjoy standing up for extended periods.

[darkstar @ Sep 4th 2007 9:36AM]

how fast can a normal person run?

[Jason Chan @ Sep 4th 2007 10:11AM]

Someone in decent shape can sprint maybe 12-15 MPH and sustain 7-9 MPH. If the assailant was in a straightline spring against a Segway, he'd probably lose serious ground within a minute or less. At that point, the cop could jump off the Segway and sprint/tackle the guy.

[Edge @ Sep 4th 2007 12:44PM]

Just for kicks, the fastest human ever recorded with modern technology is Michael Johnson at over 10 m/s (22.4 mph) sustained speed (26mph burst speed).

http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2000/KatarzynaJanuszkiewicz.shtml

[Billfred @ Sep 4th 2007 9:39AM]

@Michael: Prepare your pitch well, and have lots of data as to why a Segway is the best mode of transportation compared with its alternatives (walking, riding with friends, getting your own automobile). Also consider school policies and how you'd be parking it at school.

As for the post, let's see the average person do 12.5 miles per hour for several miles.

[Xzavier @ Sep 4th 2007 9:41AM]

If the gunman was *SMART* he would have turn around and shotout the segway tire like in the Hollywood movies.

What the heck is wrong with criminals these days. Don't they know how to do anything Right!

:D

[Phillip Lamb @ Sep 4th 2007 9:50AM]

Actually, if the criminal were smart, he would have gone up some stairs. Great way to escape Daleks AND Segways.

[GumbyX84 @ Sep 4th 2007 10:07AM]

Actually, Daleks can hover up and down stairs now. Don't you watch the new Dr. Who?

[John B @ Sep 4th 2007 10:18AM]

If the gunman *really* was smart, he'd get a freaking job somewhere. Call that trolling if you want, but if he straightened himself out and got a job instead of trying to steal what someone else has, he wouldn't be in jail right now with the extra humiliation of being caught by a cop on a Segway.

[qwertyblue @ Sep 4th 2007 9:50AM]

clearly the criminal didn't know segways or fat policemen cant run up stairs

[Mickey Jones @ Sep 4th 2007 9:57AM]

Shouldn't it read "Chicago cop on Segway chases down gunman"? instead of "Chicago cop chases down gunman on Segway"

I thought the gunman was on a Segway. Now that would be interesting.

[Eric @ Sep 4th 2007 10:29AM]

That wouldn't have been interesting. The guy on the Segway would have been an easy target, especially since he wouldn't be able to shoot back easily.

[joegibes @ Sep 4th 2007 10:04AM]

I saw two mall cops on Segways in the Circle Center Mall in Indianapolis... In the food court no less, during a convention at lunch time (too crowded to even move).

[Joe @ Sep 4th 2007 10:09AM]

Why didn't the gunman just run up some stairs?

[strider_mt2k @ Sep 4th 2007 10:17AM]

'swatcha get.

[M Peterson @ Sep 4th 2007 10:18AM]

How did he catch him...Did he run him over, jumped off the segway, encircled him...I wonder

[Will @ Sep 4th 2007 10:35AM]

Gotta wait till the batteries run out...

[Chad @ Sep 4th 2007 10:38AM]

The police model needs some LED strobes to really complete the package.

[Sean @ Sep 4th 2007 10:40AM]

LOL - I'd be caught in no time because I'd be too busy laughing at the though of a cop chasing me on a segway. I can see it now, Police Academy 10, Senility and Segways, "MAHONEY!!!!!!!!!!"

[frankmu @ Sep 4th 2007 10:41AM]

yeah, i can imagine Elwood of the Blues Brothers on it: "It's got a cop motor, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. What do you say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what? "

[joey @ Sep 4th 2007 11:02AM]

"Police are no longer searching for a second suspect because the victim refused to prosecute, police said."

Says alot about people wanting to take a stand against violence.

[pbg @ Sep 4th 2007 11:17AM]

eww...

that should be "cop on segway chases down gunman"

the headline you wrote is actually much more interesting, but not the story we have here

[apeguero @ Sep 4th 2007 11:11AM]

I just had this silly image in my head of a cop on a Segway chasing down a senior citizen in one of those motorized shopping chair thingies. Hehe

[Ken @ Sep 4th 2007 3:00PM]

I wanna see "Segway chases down cop on gunman."

[Tabajara Labs @ Sep 4th 2007 1:11PM]

I can imagine how fun it shoud have been :oD

[LBC @ Sep 4th 2007 3:04PM]

can you eat donuts while cruising on this thing?

[marco @ Sep 4th 2007 9:01PM]

id shoot myself before a segway cop took me down... god the humiliation..

[JoshR @ Sep 5th 2007 1:11AM]

Dude, police with segways downtown get chicks. Well, at least they get Asian tourists.

[Robert Goretsky @ Sep 5th 2007 12:48PM]

This guy's now up there with the likes of Gob Bluth (Arrested Development) for the award of 'most interesting placement of a Segway in life'

[macewan @ Sep 5th 2007 5:56PM]

that has to be embarrassing.

[Dan Brusich @ Sep 11th 2007 6:33PM]

I love cops on Segways. If I only had one myself...

These are some of the other AWESOME things a cop has done on a segway!

SEGWAYCOP!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-eIb7mJMK0