Alleged Red Bull Bandit Tries to Ram Motorcycle Into San Leandro Police Officer, Cops Say

A man who allegedly had just stolen 40 cases of Red Bull energy drinks worth $400 aimed his motorcycle at a San Leandro police officer at a high rate of speed in a Walmart parking lot on Wednesday afternoon, police said today. Lt. Robert McManus said he thinks the motorcyclist wasn’t trying to strike the officer but instead was trying to scare him in the incident, which started at about 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday.

The officer, who was in uniform, was eating lunch at outdoor tables at the Westgate Center on Davis Street, near the Walmart, when he overheard a loud argument coming from the parking lot and saw a man on his cellphone yelling profanities, according to McManus.

The officer began to walk toward the man, who was carrying a motorcycle helmet and wearing a black leather jacket, and planned to ask him to calm down and stop swearing because it appeared that he was scaring patrons, McManus said. But the man walked away, ended his phone call and put on his motorcycle helmet. As the officer passed the parking stall where he had seen the disturbance, he saw a Walmart shopping cart filled with 40 cases of Red Bull energy drinks and two bags of Cheetos that were covered by a 41-pound bag of dog food, according to McManus.

The officer thought that the items in the shopping cart might have been stolen from Walmart and that the man who had been on the phone had been arguing with someone who was supposed to pick up the stolen goods, McManus said. Police called Walmart to ask if a theft had occurred but before they got an answer the suspect got onto a yellow motorcycle that was parked in front of the Walmart and sped off.

As the officer waited for a Walmart employee to find out if the items had been stolen, the suspect on the motorcycle returned and began to ride through the parking lot at about 10 miles per hour, according to McManus. The officer tried to stop the motorcyclist but the man quickly accelerated to about 40 to 50 miles an hour and headed at the officer, McManus said. The officer jumped one way and the motorcyclist swerved the other way and the officer wasn’t hit, according to McManus. It appears that the motorcyclist took “evasive action” at the last minute to avoid hitting the officer, he said.

The motorcyclist sped off through the parking lot and was last seen fleeing south on Timothy Drive toward Wiliams Street, McManus said. Officers searched the area but didn’t find the man. Police describe the suspect as a black man who’s in his late 30s to early 40s and is about 5 feet 11 inches tall with a heavy build and a bald head. Walmart security officers later reviewed video in their store, which showed the suspect taking the cases of Red Bull, McManus said.

If it weren’t for the officer’s alert reaction, the store probably wouldn’t have been aware that the items had been stolen, he said. San Leandro police said anyone with information about the incident is asked to call them at (510) 577-3230.

By Bay City News

Photo via Shutterstock

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