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Man sets police car on fire in broad daylight outside city hall — then immediately gets arrested
Image Source: YouTube screenshot

Man sets police car on fire in broad daylight outside city hall — then immediately gets arrested

An apparently disgruntled repeat offender in Hastings City, Michigan, was arrested on Monday just minutes after he set a police car ablaze outside city hall, WWMT-TV reported.

Surveillance video of the property clearly shows 31-year-old Jeremy Dunklee walking over to the patrol car and dumping gasoline on top of it in broad daylight as bystanders looked on. Seconds later, he lit the fire and the vehicle went up in flames.

Dunklee can then be seen running away from the fire as confused onlookers tried to make sense of what had just happened.

Unfortunately for Dunklee, one of the onlookers was Hastings Police Deputy Chief Julissa Kelly, who had just parked the unmarked car and started to make her way into the building.

She reportedly witnessed the crime with her own eyes — and took off after him.

"I was a bit in shock at first I kind of walked around the back of the car and right as I walk around to see who it was, lit it up, went up in flames," Kelly recounted. "I kind of had a split second where I was like, do I stay with the car? Do I chase them?"

"I went after him," she said.

Police cruiser set on fire, Jeremy Dunklee; Raw surveillance videowww.youtube.com

And with the help of some Good Samaritans nearby, Kelly was able to catch up to Dunklee and detain him.

"As I was calling it out on the radio, I said, ‘He just lit a patrol car on fire,'" Kelly recounted to WXMI-TV. "Some bystanders heard me. I think they were Ace Hardware customers. [They] just came out and assisted me with stopping him."

Kelly told the outlet that one man cut Dunklee off with his truck and then got out of his vehicle to box the suspect. At the same time, another man ran over to assist. He allegedly grabbed Dunklee and wrestled him to the ground.

"And he was about 6’2” or 6’3.” I’m 5’3," added Kelly. "So, I told him to get on the ground so it’s safer for me to put him into custody. He wouldn’t listen, so the bystander helped me take him to the ground, I handcuffed him, and then my partner came on scene."

Dunklee was arrested and charged with arson, malicious destruction of police property, assaulting and resisting a police officer, and as a fourth-time habitual offender, police said. His bond was set at $200,000.

Kelly said a motive in the crime still remains unclear. She reportedly asked him several times but didn't get an answer. Kelly did say that Dunklee looked familiar, however.

"I absolutely recognized him," she said. "I’ve arrested him before. I knew his first name started with a 'J' and his last name started with a 'D.' I couldn’t remember it, so I asked him and he said, ‘You remember me.'"

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