Video: Suspected car thief trapped in knocked-over portable toilet

An alleged car thief was detained with some unlikely help – a portable toilet.

According to US media reports, the alleged thief of a reported-stolen Dodge Durango in Glendale, Wisconsin was caught by police after the portable toilet he was hiding in was knocked over by a quick-thinking passer-by.

The SUV failed to follow police directions after being reported driving dangerously on a highway on 15 November 2023, and was driven into oncoming traffic before crashing into two other cars.

The four occupants of the vehicle reportedly fled on foot after the crash – including one, who was noticed entering and hiding in a portable toilet on a nearby golf course.

One golfer who saw the suspect evading police took it upon himself to help by knocking over the portable toilet, trapping the suspected car thief while authorities searched for the other offenders.

Adam Westermayer, the bystander responsible told news outlet WTMJ-TV 4 Milwaukee: “When we realised they were being chased and that kid was in the porta-potty we tried to tell the police officer.”

“He [the police officer] went off to chase the other one [suspect] and I just made a rash decision to push the porta-potty down.”

Authorities eventually caught the alleged thief trapped in the portable toilet – with the footage of the incident going viral online and some users finding humour in the flawed attempt at police evasion.

"The stench of bad decisions," one user remarked while another said, “just another episode of the world's dumbest criminals."