In what sounds like it could have come straight out of a movie script, a Chicago man being chased by the police joined a marathon in progress in an attempt to lose his pursuers.
It sounds like the perfect plan, ripped straight from a thriller novel. A man is wanted by police and he needs to make a quick escape. He notices a marathon going on nearby and decides to blend into the crowd and look normal. He runs with the other runners until the coast is all clear, then he casually escapes with the police none the wiser.
It may sound easy on paper, but this man had no such luck. Police tackled him to the ground a short time after joining the marathon.
According to DNAinfo Chicago, police wanted to question real estate agent Bryan Duffy on Sunday after they noticed him digging around flower pots along the marathon route in Chicago. When the officers approached, Duffy sprinted away and joined the marathon.
It's not clear exactly how much of the marathon Duffy ran, but according to prosecutors he bumped into several runners as he fled police. Authorities would eventually tackle the man and give him a nasty scratch on his forehead.
So why was Duffy running from the police? According to a police report on the incident, officers found an Altoids box with 10 capsules of MDMA, or ecstasy, on Duffy's person, as well as $531 cash. Police arrested Duffy and charged him with possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest. Police brought a third charge, reckless conduct, for putting marathon runners in danger with his actions.
The whole incident is another classic example of just because you saw it in a movie or read it in a book, doesn't mean that it's going to work. Next time anyone tries to hatch such a scheme, make sure you're wearing a number pinned to your shirt or, at the very least, some running shoes.
