Lambertville Michigan Police had received complaints that homes in an area under construction were being targeted by an arsonist.  A Monroe County Sheriff police detective and other police officers then conducted a stakeout in an effort to catch this criminal.

Several officers on the stakeout, positioned around the homes, noticed a teen leaving his Lambertville home with a bucket.  The teen then approached an unmarked Police cruiser and unscrewed the gas cap.  He then began to siphon gasoline from the Police car.

The teen apparently did not know that there was a person in the car.  That person was Detective Thomas Redmond, who then jumped out of the car and chased the teen.