Officer tackles woman after long police chase through streets of Detroit and Hamtramck

Nikole Jabour tackles woman after police chase through several neighborhoods

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. – A dangerous chase Tuesday through the streets of Detroit and Hamtramck ended in an epic takedown when an officer tackled a driver who tried to make a run for it.

The officer who made the arrest shared her story with Local 4.

The chase weaved through Detroit's east side and the streets of Hamtramck for about 25 miles. It was all part of a possible kidnapping investigation.

Helicopter video showed police chasing a dark blue transit van across yards and through a very tight residential neighborhood. Each time, the driver managed to get away.

The chase ended when the driver got out of the van near I-75 and Caniff, where she was tackled and taken into custody by Hamtramck officer Nikole Jabour.

"Our dispatch called us to a chase in Detroit regarding a possible child abduction. So my partner and I started going towards the chase," said Jabour. 

Police said the chase started when they received a call and believed a child might have been in the van. The woman reached speeds of 80 mph on the freeway and led police through several neighborhoods, jumping curbs and front lawns.

But the woman was alone in the van, and she tried to make a run for it at I-75 and Caniff where Detroit and Hamtramck police boxed the van in.

"Her tire started wobbling, so she started losing a bit of control, but we were right on her," said Jabour. "A Detroit police car got right in front of her and was able to stop her. I knew she was about to bail out of the car on foot, so once I saw her bail I started running for her, and I tackled her."

Jabour said she has been involved in chases before, but this is the first time she personally ended one with a takedown.

"This is my first tackle in a chase ... I got up and I was like, 'Woo, that was pretty cool," said Jabour. 

You can listen to Jabour's conversation about the tackle with Steve Garagiola in the video above.

It's still unclear why the woman ran from police so furiously. No charges have been announced.

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About the Authors:

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.