A Massachusetts man, attempting to flee from police, found himself stuck in a chimney on Tuesday night. Ironically, he was rescued by the police, and the incident captured on police body cameras, went viral.
While executing a search warrant for 127 Canal Street on Dec. 10, the Fall City Police Department’s Community Action & Suppression Team encountered 33-year-old Robert Langlais and another suspect fleeing to the roof, according to a news release.
One suspect jumped from the roof to a parked vehicle, while “[Langlais] invoked the essence of the seasonal icon [Santa Claus] and attempted to hide inside of a chimney,” the Facebook post added.
“I was walking my dog a little while ago,” a passerby man told police. “I heard some screaming. I looked up and … he went down the chimney.”
The officers entered the house through a window, climbed to the top of the roof, and upon peering into the chimney, they found their suspect.
“Are you stuck?” an officer shouted to him.
Bodycam footage captured Langlais wedged inside the chimney, his left forearm slightly above his head. The officers ensured he could breathe while waiting for the Fall River Fire Department and Fall River Emergency Medical Services to arrive.
As firefighters chipped away at the bricks encasing him, They then pulled him to safety.
Body camera footage captured the comical rescue as Langlias pleaded with officers. “Get me out of here, bro!” he said.
“With the help of the Fall River Fire Department and Fall River Emergency Medical Services, Langlais was rescued and taken into custody. Due to his Santa-antics, Langlais was transported to a local hospital out of precaution and was medically cleared,” police wrote on Facebook.
Officers added that he was arrested for possession of class A drugs, class B drugs, and multiple charges from outstanding warrants.
The other suspect, 32-year-old Tanisha Ibay, was charged with possession of class A drugs and possession of class B drugs.
Jim Medeiros said of the ordeal, “He went down like Santa Claus,” according to WJAR.
“I thought, ‘Oh boy, he’s going to get stuck in there for sure,’ ” Medeiros added, according to the outlet.