A retail theft report at a Home Depot doesn’t usually end in a highway pursuit. But when officers moved in on a black Hyundai Sonata sitting in the store’s parking lot, the car took off instead of stopping, striking another vehicle on its way out.

What followed stretched across a wide stretch of city streets, through red lights, over curbs, and eventually into a foot chase that ended with six juveniles in custody. The vehicle itself, already reported stolen, did not survive the pursuit in one piece.

The incident, captured on officer body cameras and later reviewed by retired Sheriff Mark Lamb for Midwest Safety, offers a clear look at how a single stop attempt can unravel into something far larger.

A theft call that turned into a pursuit

The chain of events started when a Home Depot employee reported suspicious activity involving a group seen carrying screwdrivers and gloves near the store. Officers responded and attempted to box in the Hyundai in the parking lot. Instead of stopping, the driver struck a parked vehicle and fled past the store’s front entrance, cutting across a grass median to reach Capitol Drive.

From there, the pursuit settled into a pattern familiar to anyone who has followed a police chase: speeds climbing into the 80s and 90s, a U-turn to reverse direction, and officers calling out cross streets as the Hyundai wove through light traffic. The car was confirmed to be occupied by five to six people, described in radio traffic as juveniles.

The car falls apart under pursuit

Spike strips deployed during the chase began to take their toll. The Hyundai’s left side tires deflated and eventually disintegrated, sending smoke pouring from the vehicle as it continued to run on rims. The rear bumper worked loose and eventually fell off entirely. Despite the visible damage, the driver kept going, pushing through a red light and continuing north before finally losing another tire near Hampton and 92nd.

The chase ended when another truck pinned the disabled Hyundai in place. That was the signal for all six occupants to bail out on foot, scattering in different directions across nearby streets, parking lots, and toward a set of train tracks.

Rounding up six juveniles on foot

What followed was a coordinated foot pursuit involving multiple responding units. Officers detained groups of suspects near an Amstar gas station and a nearby auto shop, working through radio traffic to confirm how many remained at large. Along the flight path, officers recovered a Husky brand screwdriver, matching packaging the Home Depot employee later said he saw the group toss from the car window right before officers arrived on scene.

All six juveniles were eventually located and taken into custody. The driver, identified only by clothing description during the chase, was among the last to be apprehended.

Charges and outcome

The driver faces charges of felony eluding an officer, felony second-degree recklessly endangering safety, felony operating a vehicle without consent, and resisting or obstructing an officer. The five passengers each face charges of operating a vehicle without consent as a passenger, along with resisting or obstructing. All six were transported to a children’s detention center, with charges referred to children’s court. All six juveniles are presumed innocent unless and until proven otherwise in a court of law.

A Home Depot employee later confirmed to investigators that he had seen the group with screwdrivers and gloves, and that they had thrown product packaging from the car window shortly before officers arrived. He also said he believed the group had been preparing to steal another vehicle just before the pursuit began.

For a chase that reached speeds near 90 miles per hour through city streets, ran red lights, and ended with a vehicle losing tires and body panels along the way, the outcome could have been far worse. No injuries were reported, and the property damage was limited to the struck vehicle in the Home Depot lot and the Hyundai itself. All six juveniles were taken into custody without further incident, closing out a pursuit that started with a theft report and ended blocks away with officers searching building by building for the last of the group.