MOUNT HOPE — A Bronx bystander hoping to stay clear of a police chase climbed up a tree and was briefly detained after he was mistaken for the suspect, police said.
"When the police are chasing someone, some people run away, some people film," 46th Precinct Deputy Inspector Philip Rivera said. "This guy decided to climb a tree."
He described the man as "a bit eccentric."
Officers found a gun inside a book bag and were chasing their suspect on foot when the unidentified man decided to climb a tree on 178th Street and Grand Concourse to get out of the way.
Police had already arrested the suspect who dropped the bookbag, but after receiving a 911 call about the man in the tree, officers briefly questioned him to make sure he wasn't involved.
His story checked out and police released him.
