A would-be car theft was stopped Saturday night when a valet pulled a teenage suspect from a woman’s vehicle by his sweatshirt, Channel 2 Action News reported.
The 22-year-old was working at a valet stand on the corner of 11th and Peachtree streets and had just taken the keys to a BMW, he told the news station. When he turned to park the vehicle, he saw a teen in a hoodie sitting in the driver’s seat.
“I just grabbed his hoodie, because the window was already down,” the valet, who did not want to be identified, told Channel 2. “I opened the door and I ripped him out.”
The valet’s manager came over to help when the teen ran back to a getaway car, he said.
“The passenger on the right side, he pulled a gun out on him, and we backed off from there,” the valet said. “He took off, but we got the license plate.”
Atlanta police attempted to stop the suspects’ vehicle, but it sped away, according to Channel 2. Officers did not pursue in accordance with a new policy to suspend car chases while the department reviews its protocol.
RELATED: Atlanta police chief halts all vehicle chases
Chief Erika Shields announced the policy change Friday at a news conference. The decision follows several deadly incidents in recent months that killed innocent motorists.
“We will rely on other techniques,” Shields said. “This has given me heartburn for some time. I would rather err on the side of safety, even if it does mean temporarily not being as active in a space as I think we need to be.”
The suspects in Saturday’s attempted theft are still at large.
