Source : Perth Now news
An Australian police officer has become an unlikely viral star after being caught on camera chasing down one of Australia’s fastest fugitives.
NSW police officers near Nashdale, a small village situated west of Orange, received a flurry of phone calls last week after an emu was seen obstructing traffic along a major road.
A trainee constable was dispatched to the scene to deal with the disruptive animal, where he made a bold decision to run after it the big bird in an effort chase it away.
NSW Police shared footage of the wild foot pursuit on social media on Monday, with the 20 second clip quickly going viral.
“Following a brief game of ‘catch me if you can’, the officer successfully moved the emu away from the roadway before it could ruffle any more feathers or cause a collision,” it wrote about the incident.
The bizarre pursuit soon gained international attention, with news outlets such as People Magazine and CBS News reporting on the video.
Thousands of ‘emu-sed’ onlookers were quick to flood social media with comments laughing at the wild scene.
“Didn’t realise we were still at war,” one Aussie quipped, making a cheeky reference to the infamous 1932 Emu War that occurred in WA.
“Well that’s the road runner . . . but that’s not the coyote behind,” a separate commenter said.
“At least it wasn’t a flight risk,” a third Aussie joked.
As the video continued to blow up online, Chief Inspector David Abercrombie from the Central West Police District revealed that the pursuit was far more than just entertaining for bystanders and online scrollers — it was just part of the “trials and tribulations of the life of a country cop”.
“I’m just lucky it wasn’t me,” the officer joked to the ABC.
“If anyone asked me to chase an emu, it’d be more like watching a startled gazelle on Prozac.
“My speed would not be up to scratch.”
Mr Abercrombie shared that he had been in contact with the officer captured chasing the Australian icon — with the young cop being “very excited” over how viral the video has gone.
“He’s going very well,” the inspector said.
The incident is not the first time an emu has sparked a police pursuit this year — in early June, an emu escaped from a Maryland zoo and brought a US highway to a halt for more than three hours as officers chased the animal.
