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Suspect tries to flee Phoenix police by leaping rooftop to rooftop. When that fails, he tries to outrun a K-9 unit.
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Suspect tries to flee Phoenix police by leaping rooftop to rooftop. When that fails, he tries to outrun a K-9 unit.

A suspect took a police chase to the rooftops of Phoenix Tuesday evening. Despite some bold moves, he was ultimately brought down by gravity and a particularly eager K-9 unit.

Police indicated in a statement obtained by KSAZ-TV that Jamie Chavira's downfall Tuesday began when he allegedly failed to stop his vehicle for police in the area of 38th Avenue and Mobile Lane.

"The vehicle failed to yield to a traffic stop and felony flight was established," said the statement. "Officers did not initiate a pursuit of the vehicle. Rather, it was tracked to the area of 35th Avenue and Roeser Street."

Chavira, 19, was reportedly seen in the area jumping into the back yard of several homes as well as climbing onto a number of rooftops.

Christelle Kouam Chuene was at home with her three sleeping children when she heard the commotion.

Chuene told KSAZ, "When I looked out my window, I saw somebody jumping house to house. ... I saw him jumping from one house to the other one. It was so crazy. It was really cray and scary."

"I just saw the guy jumping like a monkey," she added. "He seems like he knew what he was doing."

Evidently, Chavira didn't know how to do it successfully.

The final moments of the chase were captured by Chuene's Ring doorbell camera.

The footage shows the shirtless suspect illuminated by a helicopter's search light atop the roof of a West Phoenix home near 35th Avenue and Roeser Road. Several officers can be seen closing in below with nonlethal weapons at the ready.

Undaunted by what appears to be a gap at least 10 feet wide, Chavira leaps toward the neighboring roof. Lacking the luck and grace necessary to traverse the divide, he lands between the houses.

Though grounded, Chavira is not yet willing to surrender. Instead, he pushes aside the blue bin that helped break his fall and makes a mad dash past police, through a hail of nonlethal rounds, and across the driveway of the neighboring house. Again, he is thwarted by his own ineptitude.

This time, he loses his footing, stumbles, then finds himself fighting the jaws of the law.

A K-9 unit got its teeth into what appears to be his hand. It thrashes its fleshy ransom until police officers are able to make the arrest.

According to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Chavira was charged with two counts of transportation violations and at least one count of criminal trespass and burglary. KSAZ indicated he has also been charged with resisting arrest.

Following his arrest, he was taken to a hospital to be treated for a dog bite, according to police.

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office

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Joseph MacKinnon

Joseph MacKinnon

Joseph MacKinnon is a staff writer for Blaze News.
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