An Adamsville shoplifting call Tuesday night turned into a chase, an arrest, and then a second chase after the suspect allegedly stole a police cruiser while still in handcuffs. Justin Green, wanted on felony warrants out of Jefferson, Shelby and Blount counties, was first spotted fleeing a reported shoplifting at the Adamsville Walmart around 10:30 p.m. Police caught up with him on a motorcycle at a Chevron on Forestdale Boulevard and took him into custody.
While officers worked to identify Green and arrange a wrecker for the motorcycle, he allegedly moved his cuffed hands to the front of his body, climbed through the partially open window of the patrol car, and drove off in the cruiser itself. A second pursuit ended in downtown Birmingham when he surrendered. He was taken to the Adamsville City Jail, and additional charges are pending.
The case raises obvious questions about transport procedures and vehicle security, the kind of thing departments review closely after an incident like this. And for anyone in our Suncoast communities who follows crime stories, it’s the kind of detail that sticks with you, much like the wilder spring training plays we argue about every March. What’s the first change you’d make to patrol car procedure after hearing this?
