'I was raised to step in': Pizza delivery man who coolly tripped up fleeing suspect gets job offer from police
DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA: The heroic actions of a pizza delivery man who helped cops capture a suspected car thief ended up getting him a job offer from the police department. Doorbell footage shows Tyler Morrell, 29, tripping up a fleeing suspect into the hands of the police while astonishingly managing to not spill the food in his hand.
Law enforcement lauded the brave actions of the 29-year-old from Delaware County and confirmed the two teenagers, 17 and 19 years old, were driving a stolen car. The teenagers in question have been apprehended and charged with receiving stolen property, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, fleeing and eluding police, possession of drugs and paraphernalia, resisting arrest, and related traffic offenses.
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What really happened?
Just like any other day, Morrell was delivering pizza to a customer in Middletown Township, Pennsylvania. When the delivery boy arrived at the front door of his customer's house, he was alarmed by the sound of cars screeching behind him. The homeowner could be heard saying in the footage, "That's a high-speed chase!" Morrell appears to walk toward the scene to have a look when the suspect pulls up outside the home next door with two police cars in hot pursuit. The car thief flees on foot, passing by Morrell, who swiftly sticks out of his leg and sends the man tumbling onto the ground, eventually into the hands of the police.
The delivery boy's move was not only lauded as brave but also impressive as he managed to engage in the action without dropping the food. Unbothered, Morrell returns to his duty and delivers the food while the police arrest the suspect. Brookhaven Police were grateful for his action, and jokingly offered him a job on Facebook with a caption, "Thank you sir for the assist!!! If you're interested in a job we are always looking for good people. Coccos Pizza Aston - you have great employees!" Morrell's employers were equally impressed. "Special shoutout to our delivery driver Tyler, who assisted the Brookhaven police today, and STILL delivered the food unharmed!!" they wrote on Instagram.
'Just wanted to do my part'
However, Morrell tried to downplay his actions saying, "Honestly I didn't really think about doing anything, but stepping in. I was raised to step in if you see something that's not right. So, I just wanted to do my part," he said, adding, "I did as much as I could to prevent the cheese from sliding," reported Fox 29. He even claimed to feel bad about hurting the suspect. "I guess I put my leg out a little too hard and ended up kicking him a little bit," he told CBS. "So, I got a little bit to show on my leg for it, but it is what it is. It definitely paid off in the end. I definitely did not wake up today [thinking about] coming up here to do this. I thought I was just delivering pizza."
Social media users suggested Morrell be rewarded with a big tip for his actions, which prompted a fundraiser to be opened. The GoFundMe set up by Cocco's after being overwhelmed by calls read, "Delco Delivery Pizza guy here, due to the high volume of calls to my work with all the love and support, I wanted to give those asking an opportunity to send me a tip! Thank you so much, I can not believe how fast this train is moving! All proceeds will go towards the start-up cost of Morrell Cheesesteak Company inspired by the tragic events of 9/11." Following the hype, Brookhaven Police Chief Mike Vice later said he didn't want to encourage citizens to engage in police chases. He said he "applauded" Morrell's actions, but "we do want people to know that we generally, we don't want them to intervene," adding, "We like to take care of it ourselves."