Crime & Safety

Bystander Trips Fleeing Suspect in Berkeley, Police Make Arrest

A man fleeing pursuing officers after allegedly trying to pass a forged check at the Bank of America on Telegraph Avenue was arrested by Berkeley police after he was tripped by a passer-by, police said.

A forgery suspect running from police in Berkeley was arrested after he was tripped by a citizen who was passing by, police said.

The passer-by was a young man who recently graduated from UC Berkeley and told a witness to the arrest, Friedman, that he stuck out his foot instinctively when he saw three officers chasing the suspect, according to Friedman.

About 2:30 p.m. on July 2, police received a report of a man trying to pass a forged check at the Bank of America branch on 2347 Telegraph Ave., one block south of the Cal campus.

When Berkeley police officers arrived on the scene, the man left the bank, and when an officer tried to stop him, the suspect ran, said Berkeley Police Officer Jennifer Coats.

The suspect was tripped by a passer-by with whose assistance police were able to make the arrest, Coats said.

Asked if police could provide the name of the passer-by, Coats said the department as a rule does not identify witnesses when a criminal court case is pending.

The suspect was taken to the Berkeley city jail and booked on suspicion of attempting to pass a forged check and resisting a police officer, Coats said.

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