SWAT officer gives chase to catch robbery suspects

DeKalb County SWAT officer Jason Spruill ran down two robbery suspects.

DeKalb County SWAT officer Jason Spruill ran down two robbery suspects.

A DeKalb County SWAT officer was in the right place at the right time to arrest two people who allegedly robbed someone, Channel 2 Action News reported.

On duty and fully suited up, Jason Spruill ran down the people after the robbery attempt Tuesday on East Ponce de Leon Avenue, the station reported.

“I noticed two teenagers running across East Ponce looking over their shoulder,” Spruill said. “It’s the ‘I just did something’ sprint.”

He also saw the victim running after the people, and saw him fall down.

So Spruill took off after the people, first in his police SUV, then on foot, according to Channel 2.

He saw one of the people on top of a 6-foot fence, and ran up and grabbed him.

“As soon as I put hands on his jacket, he slid out of it and jumped over the fence,” Spruill said.

He eventually tracked the teens to the nearby Tobie Grant Park recreation center, where he saw them on the basketball court, Channel 2 reported.

Spruill arrested a 15-year-old and his alleged accomplice, DeNiro Pearson.

“It was a coward move,” said the victim, who was not identified. “I was trying to be nice to them and this unfortunately happened.”

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