Watch incredible moment van driver helps armed police catch suspect

'That was quite exhilarating'

We've all been there, playing over those scenarios in our minds where we think 'what would I do in a situation of great importance'.

While some of us might imagine fighting crime like a knock-off Batman, others are using the humble van to do good.

The incident, which happened in Kent, saw a quick-thinking van driver offer an armed police officer a lift up the road as he was chasing a suspect on foot.

Kent Police units were visiting a property in the High Street shortly after midday on Tuesday 16 June 2026, following reports of a serious assault in the area.

When officers arrived, a wanted man managed to evade them and fled the scene on foot, running towards Tivoli Road.

The video, released by the force, shows the officer running towards a roundabout when a black van turns up and slows down next him.

The driver shouts "get in the back" and the police officer duly hops in without second thought and orders "go, go, go!"

He follows it up with "cheers buddy, follow that police officer."

Now, we all know van drivers don't take many prisoners when driving, and this one was no different, accelerating fast under a bridge to which the police officer responds "don't crash!"

The driver calmly replies in maybe the most British way ever, "I won't crash, sir."

Watch the full clip below:

The officer next instructs the driver to "just go past him [the suspect]" to which the driver replies "yep, I'll get him" - seriously what a hero.

Eventually, the driver pulls up on the right side of the road ahead of the suspect, but it almost goes wrong as the deceleration causes the already open side door to slam shut on arrival.

Luckily, the officer figured it out pretty quick and managed to get it open again because honestly those doors can be a nightmare sometimes.

After the officer, along with backup, manages to apprehend the suspect, he returns to the driver to thank him for his help.

"Sorry mate, cheers for your help," the officer says as the driver replies with "no problem" and a firm handshake ensues.

To cap the whole thing off, the driver just quips, "that was quite exhilarating," to which the officer responds "I hope the rest of your day is calmer".

That's what it's all about.