Kentucky Cop Hugs Fleeing Suspect At End Of Police Chase

A Kentucky police chase that spanned numerous counties on Wednesday ended in a tight embrace between the police chief and the suspect, newly released body-cam footage shows.

The Hodgenville Police Department was chasing 41-year-old Latrece Curry of Lebanon, Kentucky, through multiple counties, police said. The pursuit began when Curry became emotional after a domestic dispute and fled her home before cops arrived, The New York Post (NYP) reported.

When an officer caught up to Curry, she sped off and led officers on a chase that ended in a parking lot after police set up a roadblock, according to the NYP. Body-cam footage shows multiple officers surround the vehicle with guns drawn, screaming for Curry to put her hands up.

But when Chief James Richardson approached the driver side door, the situation quickly changed.

“The look on her face was of sheer terror,” Richardson said, according to a Facebook post. “She was shaking and it was obvious she was scared. I talked to her to calm her down and then she hugged me. That has never happened to me after a pursuit.”

Richardson can be heard on the footage telling Curry it was “okay” and to “calm down” as she uncontrollably sobs. Other officers also dropped their weapons. (RELATED: Drunk Driver Trying To Escape Police Ends Up Biting K-9, Barks At Officers)

“Of course we had guns, guns pointed at her, so I just tried to calm her down,” Richardson said, according to the NYP. “She was shaking so bad she couldn’t get her seatbelt off, so I helped her get her seat belt off.”

“I didn’t perceive her as a threat, she didn’t have any weapons. I took control of her hands, she started crying. She reached out and hugged me and I just kind of hugged her back,” he recalled.

Police said she was taken into custody without incident.

The Hodgenville Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller.