Arkansas Police Pit Harley-Davidson And Send It Into The Air

Some motorcycles are so fast that law enforcement officers won’t even chase them. Cruiser bikes like Harley-Davidsons aren’t typically so quick though and in the case of the fleeing suspect in the following video, it was far from fast enough to keep him out of jail. Instead, the pursuing Arkansas State Trooper tapped him just hard enough to cause a complete loss of contact with the ground.

This chase took place in the far southwest corner of Arkansas and then moved into Texas as the motorcycle rider tried everything they could to escape. According to the report in the video description, multiple calls led ASP Trooper Cullen Young to the bike in question. Other road users said the rider was “flipping people off, braking hard in front of people,” and “trying to get run over.”

The motorcyclist was traveling at 78 mph (125 km/h) in a 65 mph (105 km/h) construction zone when the Trooper first spotted him so a traffic stop was initiated. The rider, who police later found to be David Roark, pulled over. Then, as the trooper approached the motorcycle, Roark sped away. That tactic has certainly worked in the past with the Arkansas State Police but not here.

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Despite other strategies employed by Roark like speeding above 100 mph (160 km/h) and driving the wrong way on the interstate, officers always retained sight of him. In fact, Roark went as far as to pass a semi-truck on the grass to escape but to no avail. Then, as he used exit 213 and began to turn right, Trooper Young bumped the back of the bike, specifically the saddle bag, and the chase came to a halt.

Of course, it only did so because the tap from the trooper led Roark to lose control of the bike and jump the curb. As he did, the bike somersaulted end over end, throwing Roark from the Harley and into the grass below. Officers found a handgun on him and said he admitted to taking drugs before the ride.

An ambulance took Roark to the hospital to attend to his injuries. They do not appear to be life-threatening.

Image Credit: Police Pursuits