WEST JORDAN, Utah - “I was not dressed. I was in my underwear, I had no shoes on, and my feet ended up getting bloodied just from chasing him down the street,” a West Jordan homeowner said.
It was early Tuesday morning when the man chased after a criminal, spraying him with bear mace, and keeping him on his porch until police arrived.
The homeowner told Fox 13 his story – we will not be identifying him because one of the suspects is still on the run.
“Around 2:30 the motion detectors started going off,” the homeowner said. “I looked at the camera and saw a man walking up our driveway and climb into our vehicle.”
With bear mace in hand, the homeowner charged outside.
“He climbed out of the car and started running I chased him for about a block and a half he tried to climb a fence and that's when I hit him with the first shot of bear mace,” the homeowner said.
That's right - the first shot of powerful and potent chemicals meant for an aggressive grizzly.
“He actually came at me once when I hit it with the first time and then I hit it with him again,” the homeowner said.
Twice, then three times.
“He tried come at me again and I just emptied the can on him and then he threw his hands in the air and laid on the ground and said I'm done.” The homeowner then walked the criminal back to his porch where his wife was at the doorway on the phone with 911.
“His hands were in the air and he said yes sir yes sir and I told dispatch you're not going to believe what I’m seeing right now because the guy was just in complete compliance with my husband,” the homeowners wife said.
The criminal stayed put until police got there.
“They didn't say much to me, they pulled guns on him and searched him and put him in handcuffs and he went in the ambulance,” the homeowner said.
The man who allegedly broke in to their car is John Coopride. He has a long list of criminal history. Police booked him into jail on multiple charges.
“I was still in my underwear when police were out there with gun point and I was like oh my god I need to go get dressed,” the homeowner said.
Police advise to defend yourself if necessary, but never chase after a criminal because you don't know what they're capable of.
