Lewisville

‘Textbook' Tackle by Citizen Helps Lewisville Police Nab Alleged Car Thief

An accused car thief is in custody in Lewisville, but the arresting officer didn't stop the suspect alone. The man nearly got away, but a citizen stepped in and gave the officer a hand.

It didn't hurt that the good Samaritan happened to be a former rugby player.

Some partnerships are formed in the unlikeliest of ways. Like the one between Lewisville police officer Jeff Carey and Michael Barrera.

Carey was on patrol on June 22 when he saw a man rummaging through a car. It turned out the car was stolen. The suspect eluded Carey, who continued to drive through the area near Fox Avenue in Lewisville.

About two hours later, the officer saw the man again, this time, near a restaurant.

"I stopped my vehicle, told him to stop," Carey said. "Of course, he starts running again."

At the time, Barrera and his family were outside the restaurant, where they'd grabbed a bite to eat. He saw Carey chasing the man, and Barrera began to run.

"I played a lot of rugby in my day," he said. "I'm a little older now, but I still got wheels."

"Just probably 50 yards before we get to the culvert, I see this blur," Carey said. "Which is Mr. Barrera running by."

Barrera, who's about to turn 50, said he figured the suspect wasn't half his age. He was taller, he said, but thinner.

"As I was getting closer, I said, 'Oh yeah, I got him,'" Barrera said.

With Carey and his new, unofficial partner in pursuit, the suspect ran down the sidewalk and into a culvert which ran beneath the road.

"Let's just say he took him into custody for me pretty quick," Carey said.

"I did an old rugby tackle," Barrera explained.

Carey said when he reached the culvert, Barrera had subdued the suspect. As that was happening, Barrera's uncle watched the officer's car -- which he'd left running with the door open during the chase. The name of the suspect has not been released. He faces numerous charges, meanwhile the stolen car was recovered.

"I'd like to think I'd have taken this guy into custody," Carey said. "But I know for sure with the help of Mr. Barrera, it happened."

Barrera said he never thought twice about his role in catching a bad guy.

"If you can back the blue, they got our back regardless," he said. "They got our back."

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