Malaysian police officer bends car door open to nab suspected thieves
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A police officer pulled and bent the door downwards to create a gap.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM MAZMAR93/TIKTOK
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A Malaysian police officer has gone viral for prising open and bending a car door in Kota Kinabalu to apprehend two suspects in a theft case.
In a dashcam video of the unusual feat of strength uploaded online, a black sedan can be seen cutting across two lanes of stationary cars before crashing into road barriers and coming to a stop.
A stationary police car can be seen nearby as two men wearing police vests approach the car.
One of the police officers pulls on the driver’s door handle with one hand and, once the door is slightly ajar, uses both hands to pull and bend the door downwards, creating an opening approximately the size of the car window.
He then leans into the car through the gap but appears unable to remove the driver from the car.
The commotion seems to alert several motorcyclists, who dismount and rally around the car, likely to help the police officers open the car.
Almost two minutes after the car came to a stop, the two police officers can be seen escorting two men, who appear to be the driver and passenger, away from the car.
“Captain Malaysia vibe,” a Reddit user commented under the reposted video, referencing comic book superhero Captain America whose powers include enhanced strength. Other users likened the police officer to another fictional hero, the crime-busting RoboCop.
Malaysian newspaper New Straits Times reported on Dec 18 that the case involved a theft in Telipok, a town near Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, on Dec 12.
A 56-year-old local woman had lost a crossbody bag containing items worth approximately RM1,500 (S$470).
Kota Kinabalu district police chief Kasim Musa said that officers conducting patrols detected the alleged thieves’ getaway vehicle, a rental car, about two hours after the theft took place.
“A pursuit ensued before the suspects’ vehicle crashed,” he added. “The video of the arrest currently viral on social media is an authentic recording of the swift action taken by police officers in the line of duty.”
Two men, aged 22 and 28, were arrested and later tested positive for drugs, NST reported.
The police were able to recover the victim’s belongings and investigations are ongoing.
