A Routine Stop Turns Into Something Unexpected
What started as a simple stop for walking in the road turned into a full-on chase that’s now putting the Lubbock Police Department’s Mounted Patrol in the national spotlight. Officers Bryson Lewis and William Trotter were patrolling on horseback last Monday afternoon when they stopped a man who wasn’t using the sidewalk.
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The man, later identified as 42-year-old Joseph Ramirez, immediately caught the officers’ attention with his odd behavior. When they asked if they could check his pockets, Ramirez refused. That’s when things took a turn—thanks to a joke.
The Joke That Sparked a Run
Trying to lighten the mood, Officer Trotter decided to crack a joke. In the bodycam footage, you can hear him tell Ramirez that his horse is a “narcotics-smelling horse.” Instead of laughing, Ramirez bolted.
“He kind of took off down the alley, and we thought he was joking but he kept running,” Officer Lewis recalled. “He took it seriously, and the chase was on.”
The officers and their horses didn’t have much trouble catching up–ya know, since they were on HORSEBACK! Ramirez was arrested and charged with evading arrest and tampering with physical evidence with the intent to impair.
Why Running From a Horse Isn’t a Great Idea
If there’s one thing the officers made clear, it’s this—don’t try to outrun a horse. “A lot of people that have come before us on Mounted Patrol have been in a foot chase. Somebody is silly enough to eventually run from a horse. I don’t know why it happens. We are going to outrun them,” Trotter said…