Florida Police Chase Video: Hillsborough Country Broke Out The Chopper to Track Down a Group of Kids Who Stole a Golf Cart from a Clubhouse
WTSP — The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office released video on Friday showing the moment five juveniles ran away from deputies after stealing a golf cart.
It happened just after 11 p.m. on Wednesday within the Triple Creek Community in Riverview.
HCSO said deputies tried to pull them over, but all five of the juveniles jumped from the cart as it was moving and started running away.
After several "foot pursuits," officials say they were taken into custody.
“Theft, no matter the item, is a violation of our community’s sense of safety,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “We will continue to protect the property of our residents and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.”
This video cracks me up. Because this so easily could have been me at 14-years old. And I'm guessing a handful of people reading this are in the same boat. Me and my friends never specifically stole a golf cart from a golf course and took it on a joy ride. But we certainly did plenty of other stupid, reckless things that were probably on par with golf cart theft. Had things broke the right way one night, and we stumbled upon a golf cart outside a clubhouse with keys in the ignition, there's probably an 80% chance 14-year old me takes that thing for spin. Not to steal it. We certainly wouldn't have gotten in the golf cart with a plan. Or god forbid consider the implications of getting caught. You just hop in the cart and put yourself at the mercy of your most reckless friend (because inevitably he's the one driving) and ride aimlessly though the night because you're young, dumb, and bored. That's just old school childhood shenanigans.
But never in ten million years when I got in that cart would I think I'd have a fucking chopper called on me. And that a team of officers would be tracking me and my friends on a monitor via night vision helicopter cam like we just escaped federal prison. I'd have thought worst case scenario a neighbor calls it in and the cops send Seth Rogan & Bill Hader from Superbad to track us down in a comical way. But nope. As it turns out, stealing a golf cart in Riverview, Florida gets you an immediate 5-star GTA-style response.
I don't know if it was just a slow night in Riverview, or if the cops are training people on the technology, or if this is just how police work is done in the greater Tampa area. Maybe there's more to the story than they're reporting (which isn't a lot). There's a difference between some 13-14 year old kids taking a golf cart sitting out in the open, and some 17-year olds executing a full-blown B&E to get in the cart room. Regardless, it seems like a hilarious use of resources. But shit, I guess they caught the criminals. Hard to pass up a chance to break out the chopper in Riverview, Florida. And it probably taught these kids a valuable lesson. Guarantee they never try to steal a golf cart again.
Considering they're minors, unless they're repeat offenders, I can't imagine these kids get much more than a slap on the wrist. I mean, they did return the cart after all. I'm sure they'll get some community service. Will probably have to take a court ordered class. At most a little time at the JDC. In the end, I'm guessing it won't negatively affect their futures in any real way. So if that's the case... then for these kids... having this footage of you out there is actually pretty awesome. I'd be showing this video to everyone I meet for the rest of my life. Just you and your boys running from the cops on an infrared camera with a whole ass chopper on your ass. All because you stole a golf cart. A core memory caught on tape. What a story.