OFFICER

Off-Duty Duxbury Police Officer Stops Purse Snatcher

An off-duty Duxbury police officer stopped a purse theft in Hingham, Massachusetts on Friday, according to the Duxbury police department.

Police say that Duxbury Police Officer Mike Bolze was having dinner with his wife at the Plaza Azteca restaurant in Hingham Friday evening when Bolze noticed a man advancing upon a nearby table suspiciously.

A small group of women was sitting at a table and Bolze saw the man approach a chair belonging to one of the women and snatch her purse from her jacket which was hanging on the chair.

The alleged purse thief then exited the restaurant in a hurry as Bolze quickly reacted and began to chase the man. The man led Bolze into a parking lot where Bolze announced that he was a policeman. The thief continued running until he reached a car that had been waiting for him.

The car, identified by police as a late model black Cadillac Escalade, fled the scene with the man in the passenger seat, driving carelessly and nearly hitting other people in the lot.

As the car drove away, the man dropped the purse. Bolze returned the purse to its owner, receiving applause from other customers at the restaurant.

Later, Hingham police arrived to investigate. Police say the registration plate number of the car provided by Bolze belonged to a rental vehicle.

At this time, Hingham police are still investigating the incident.

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