Laemin Forbes, 40, (pictured) was the most wanted man in WA before his arrest
One of the most wanted fugitives in the country has been captured in a dramatic arrest in a river after allegedly leading police on a chase through suburban streets in his underwear.
Laemin Forbes, 40, allegedly fled police in the Perth suburb of Como in the early hours of Thursday morning – racing through backyards and houses in nothing but his underwear and holding a shovel like a ‘blood-soaked terminator’.
He was arrested on Friday night in knee-high water in the Swan River by at least four officers with the help of the dog squad – being bitten by one in the process.
The dramatic moment cops race through the Swan River in Perth in pursuit of Laemin Forbes
The man allegedly led police on a foot pursuit (pictured) through Perth streets with witnesses saying he looked like a ‘Terminator’
Extraordinary bodycam footage shows one officer dashing across eight lanes of traffic on Manning Road, Como and train lines in pursuit on the man.
‘We’ve got him boxed in,’ the officer yells.
After spotting him on the banks of the river he tells the man: ‘Mate I can see you, show me your hands’.
Other officers converge on the fugitive, their flashlight beams searching the water for the man as their police dog hunts him down.
Forbes was hit with a long list of charges and appeared in Perth Magistrate’s Court on Saturday morning from his hospital bed.
He is charged with escaping police custody, assaulting a public officer, trespass, stealing a motor vehicle, aggravated burglary, armed robbery, obstructing police officers, and aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm among others.
He was arrested after being bitten by a canine from the dog squad and hit with a long list of charges
Como resident Kira (pictured) said the man burst into her house in his ‘jocks’ but police were able to get in his way before he got close to her
He did not apply for bail and is being held until his next court appearance on June 25.
Police will allege that in leading them on the chase, he smashed through a glass door and assaulted multiple people, including an elderly woman, 84, who had got in his way walking on the footpath.
The woman hit her head on the pavement after allegedly being thrown to the ground and was rushed to Sir Charles Gairdner hospital.
‘Put the shovel down, put the shovel down now, stop… stop,’ detectives in hot pursuit can be heard yelling in the footage.
‘Taser, Taser!’
The fugitive then ran through a construction site and over fences into residential backyards.
Witnesses told 7News Forbes was like a ‘blood-soaked Terminator’.
Como resident Kira was in her house when she said she ‘saw the man shirtless and in his jocks’.
‘He was tasered five times from what I know … luckily the police officer was there and was able to block him before he got to us,’ she said.
He then allegedly stole a handbag from another woman in her 80s and took her car keys.
He made his way to her red Mitsubishi ASX – leaving a trail of blood behind him – and got behind the wheel.
Ramming through the woman’s carport gate he narrowly avoided slamming into the detectives giving chase.
Police later found the car in a ditch in nearby Huntingdale after he tore off down the Canning Highway.
His trail was found again later on Friday night leading to his arrest after a second foot chase.
Mary, the woman in her 80s who got in Laemin’s way on the pavement said she was caught by surprise by the man on his rampage.
‘He put his arm around my chest and I think he must have pushed me back and I hit the top of my head on the driveway and so I just stayed there,’ she said.
‘I saw it come and I thought he’s going to finish me off… but he didn’t.’
‘He was very strong… I couldn’t fight him off if I tried. I’m only a little old lady.’
The man was bleeding after breaking through a glass window to escape police (pictured)