If the police were chasing someone and he ran right by you...

[Jack_Uzi]

One of my first part-time jobs was in a store, a colleague of mine noticed a shoplifter who had his pockets full of deodorant and was making a run for it. We chased him down and had to keep him in check till the police came. That was quite the adrenaline rush.
I would probably try to trip him if I had the chance.

 

[TehIrishSoap]

Wrestle Him To The Ground! (Like A Boss)

 

[teh_Canape]

sucker punch in the face right as he passes next to me

hellz ya

 

[Sansha]

Yes. Either an elbow to the face or an ankle to the ankle.

 

[Vilcus]

It depends. If he's running off with some old ladies purse, then I'd closeline the bastard. However, if he was unarmed, and looked terrified, then I'd probably let it go.

I would avoid interfering, because if you do that, and they weren't really in trouble, or fleeing the police, then your could get sued for assault.

 

[rockyoumonkeys]

yeah, i suppose i would. Nothing too confrontational, i might try to trip him or push him into a wall.

 

[dragonslayer32]

I'd stop him, or go down trying.

 

[IckleMissMayhem]

Only time I got anywhere near a police chase, I woke up with the car I was in on it's side up against a streetlight, with my mate (who at that point was a 5th year med student) holding my head still. Fun times(!)

I'd have a go at restraining someone about my size or less, but no way would I take on someone who was obviously armed, or built like the proverbial outhouse.

 

[Girl With One Eye]

This has happened to me before but I kinda froze and it all happened so fast I didn't even realise what happened until after they were gone.

 

[Chrono212]

This...sort of happened to me recently. Sort of.

And...yeah...let him go v_v

Thinking back it's clear that he is the 'bad guy' but at the time it's just 'Zuh, that's unusual'

 

[BreakfastMan]

I would probably try to stop him if I could. If he was fully armored and holding a bloody chainsaw or something along those lines, well, I might rethink it then.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

Would you try to stop him?

They should STOP BECAUSE THEY HAVE VIOLATED THE LAW!

I would try and stick a leg out to trip him or swing my bag around at head height. I believe very very strongly in justice, and that we as a society need to enforce karma rather than depend on it. Law breakers and criminal scum should surrender or pay in blood!

 

[GrinningManiac]

trip him up or football/soccer tackle him

Maximum outcome for minimum personal effort and/or endangerment of safety

 

[XJ-0461]

I'd either try trip/tackle them, or just freeze up.

Probably this. While I'd like to say I'd try and help, chances are I won't process things quickly enough and they'll just run past me.

 

[Trivun]

I have pretty quick reactions, so if something like that happened then provided I didn't freeze up in pure shock, which is a possibility (and don't try and tell me otherwise, any person here could easily do the same), then yes, I would try and stop him. Hell, if I did then there's the chance that I might get a police commendation or something at least, which would be pretty damn awesome...

 

[Cheesus333]

I'd be to scared and jump out of the way, allowing for him to run by and myself to look like s pussy. But theeeeeeen the person runs into a lamppost and is knocked out, making me a town hero for capturing the criminal, who turns out to be Hitler (somehow). I'm given a parade and awarded a medal for my bravery/cowardice, and make a deal with joe pesci to overthrow the mayor-figure. We do this by pretending to be clowns at his daughters party (much to the annoyance of Joe) and kidnap her, holding her at ransom for the town. Only then do we find out that was wasn't the mayor at all, but christopher walken! Who threatens us while trying to give us a watch that's been up several mens asses. Before we're hypnotised by his voice, I throw a spoon at him (his ultimate weakness) and we run away, only for a Jewish tap dancing walrus to eat us. Inside the walrus me and Joe Pesci spend our nights gambling, but he keeps shooting our waiters! All this because I got out of the way, I'd have preferred to be spider-man (until the third film, of course)

Whoah, no kidding?! That happened to me last week!

Ideally, I would do something stupidly heroic and amazing resulting in an arrest for the criminal and some kind of reward for me - like a can of Coke, for instance.
But realistically, I'd panic and GTFO of his way. Especially if he was armed.

 

[asinann]

I'd at least stick a leg out to try and trip him.

 

[joshuaayt]

I have no delusions of grandeur concerning my abilities to not fuck everything up. I'd let the person past, and the police would silently thank me for not becoming another factor they have to worry about.

 

[Cazza]

No not worth getting dragged in by the police. Even if it is just to thank you. Most likely they would want a statement etc.

Not worth it.