A Missouri man who had already been caught after riding a stolen motorcycle managed to slip one hand free from his restraints, climb into the driver’s seat of a police SUV, and launch a second escape that sent officers racing after their own patrol vehicle at speeds above 120 mph.
Bodycam and in-car footage presented by the YouTube channel Midwest Safety showed the July 21, 2024 incident unfolding from what first appeared to be a fairly routine arrest into a chaotic pursuit, a frantic phone call to the suspect’s girlfriend, and a search through thick woods.
The channel identified the suspect as 38-year-old Andrew Delcamp, a man with a criminal record in Missouri dating back several years. He was eventually found hiding beneath brush and arrested for a second time that afternoon.
Stolen Motorcycle Leads to First Arrest
The encounter began after officers received information about a stolen motorcycle being tracked by its owner.
Troopers located Delcamp near a residence after another police agency had unsuccessfully pursued the motorcycle. He attempted to flee on foot but was quickly caught, handcuffed behind his back, and placed in the front passenger seat of a patrol SUV with a seat belt around him.
During questioning, Delcamp acknowledged that he knew the motorcycle had been stolen, although he denied being the person who originally took it.
“I didn’t steal that bike,” he told an officer. “Did I run because I know it was stolen? Yes.”
When officers asked what was inside a backpack he had dropped while running, Delcamp gave another unusually direct answer.
“Like a quarter gram of ice and two Xanaxes,” he said, using a common slang term for methamphetamine.
Investigators later reported finding a white crystalline substance, two pills, a used syringe, and a spoon containing residue. Delcamp also described himself as a drug addict, according to the account presented with the footage.
His honesty about the drugs and stolen motorcycle did not make the situation less serious, but it may have made officers believe he had accepted that the chase was over. That assumption would soon prove badly wrong.
Suspect Slips Free and Takes the Cruiser
While the officers spoke with witnesses and examined the backpack, Delcamp began working against the handcuffs inside the patrol SUV.
In-car footage reportedly showed him pressing downward on the restraints until he managed to pull his left hand free. Because the vehicle did not have a cage separating the front and rear areas, he was able to move over the center console and reach the driver’s seat.
The SUV was still running.
Delcamp put it into gear and drove away while an officer tried to grab the driver’s-side door handle and order him to stop. The officer fell as the vehicle accelerated but was not injured.
The sudden theft stunned the officers who had been standing only a short distance away.
“How did that happen?” one of them asked as units rushed to begin another pursuit.
The escape exposed how several small details can combine into a major failure. Delcamp had been cuffed, double-locked, seat-belted, and placed inside a police vehicle, yet the absence of a secure divider and the running engine gave him just enough opportunity to turn custody into another chase.
Frantic Call From a Stolen Police Vehicle
As he fled, Delcamp used a phone left inside the cruiser to contact a woman believed to be his girlfriend.
“Okay, listen to me,” he said. “I stole a cop car and I’m driving. You’re going to meet me somewhere, baby, so I don’t get caught.”
The conversation became increasingly desperate as he tried to arrange a meeting place while officers closed in behind him.
He suggested locations near a gas station and a family member’s home, then began describing more extreme plans for avoiding capture.
“Baby, I’m going to jump in the river and swim down,” Delcamp said. “Look for me, please.”
At one point, he asked the woman to meet near a village where he hoped to hide. Before ending the call, he told her he loved her.
The exchange was strange enough to sound almost fictional, but it revealed how quickly Delcamp’s escape plan was changing. He appeared to be making decisions moment by moment, without any clear destination beyond getting away from the vehicles behind him.
Pursuit Reaches Extreme Speeds
Officers followed the stolen Ford Explorer north through Missouri as Delcamp crossed into opposing lanes, ignored traffic controls, and drove at extremely high speeds.
One officer later said the stolen patrol vehicle reached about 128 mph, while a pursuing unit climbed to roughly 140 mph in an effort to maintain contact.
“He was still 80, 90 mph,” an officer said even after the cruiser’s tire had been damaged.
Police successfully deployed spike strips near Route O, but Delcamp continued north before turning onto Missouri Route 49. The vehicle remained mobile despite the damaged tire and dangerous speed.
The pursuit created an obvious risk for officers, other drivers, and anyone living along the route. Delcamp was not simply escaping; he was operating a powerful police SUV in oncoming lanes while distracted by a phone call and pursued by multiple units.
Officers also became concerned about the weapons normally stored inside the stolen vehicle. During the search that followed, they checked whether the patrol rifle and shotgun remained secured.
Radio traffic eventually confirmed that the weapons were still locked in place, avoiding what could have become an even more dangerous situation.
Delcamp Runs Into the Woods
Near a sharp section of roadway, Delcamp left the patrol SUV and ran into a wooded area on U.S. Forest Service property in Wayne County.
“He bailed on foot,” an officer reported.
Police established a perimeter and began searching through brush, trees, and uneven ground. A K-9 team was brought forward to track him while other officers tried not to disturb the fresh trail.
At one point, officers heard movement or shouting deeper in the woods. They continued advancing cautiously, warning one another not to cross into each other’s lines of fire.
The dog soon picked up what an officer described as an extremely fresh track.
“He’s not far,” someone said.
Delcamp had removed his shirt and lost his shoes during the escape. Officers eventually found him concealed beneath branches and heavy brush near a fallen tree.
Commands quickly followed.
“Show me your hands,” an officer shouted. “Do not move.”
Delcamp was pulled from the hiding place, placed back in handcuffs, and advised of his right to remain silent. When he continued speaking, one officer told him that using that right would be wise.
Officers Reflect on the Escape
After Delcamp was secured, officers discussed how he had managed to take the vehicle.
One said he had seen the suspect move once but never believed there was any real chance he could escape. Another questioned whether the SUV’s anti-theft system should have prevented the theft.
“I never thought there was a chance in the world he’d slip,” an officer said.
The surprise was understandable, although the incident also became a sharp reminder that a handcuffed prisoner is not necessarily a fully controlled prisoner. Delcamp had already run once, knew he was facing serious consequences, and had enough time alone in the cruiser to test his restraints.
Officers requested a vehicle with a secure prisoner cage for the next transport.
“Since we’ve already obviously shown what he’s like, let’s get a cage car to take him,” one of them said.
That comment captured the lesson of the day better than anything else. After two pursuits and one stolen cruiser, nobody was prepared to give Delcamp another opening.
Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison
Midwest Safety’s host said Delcamp had an extensive criminal history, including a 2019 guilty plea for second-degree burglary that led to a seven-year prison sentence.
For the 2024 incident, he later pleaded guilty in two Butler County felony cases on February 25, 2025.
The charges included first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle and resisting arrest by fleeing while creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death. He also pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary in a separate case.
Delcamp received seven years for tampering and two years for resisting arrest, with those sentences ordered to run consecutively. Another seven-year burglary sentence was added, bringing the total punishment to 16 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.
His brief escape lasted only a few hours, but it greatly increased the consequences he faced. What began with a stolen motorcycle ended with a stolen police cruiser, a multi-county pursuit, damaged tires, a manhunt, and a prison term long enough to keep him behind bars for much of the next two decades.
A former park ranger and wildlife conservationist, Lisa’s passion for survival started with her deep connection to nature. Raised on a small farm in northern Wisconsin, she learned how to grow her own food, raise livestock, and live off the land. Lisa is our dedicated Second Amendment news writer and also focuses on homesteading, natural remedies, and survival strategies. Lisa aims to help others live more sustainably and prepare for the unexpected.
