Dallas man freed himself from handcuffs in a moving cop car, climbed into the front seat, and drove off before the officer inside could stop him

A routine traffic stop in Dallas escalated into a dramatic custody escape on May 30, 2026, after a suspect slipped his handcuffs, climbed into the driver’s seat of a police cruiser, and sped away with an officer still in the back. As detailed by BroBible, the incident unfolded over the course of about 35 minutes and was captured on body-worn and dash cameras released by the Dallas Police Department.

Dallas Police officers Ibrahim Kante and Kenneth Harper conducted the initial stop at approximately 5:35 PM on May 30 for a registration violation in the 2300 block of South Marsalis Avenue. The stop resulted in the arrest of 37-year-old Stacey Huffman on charges of driving with an invalid license, possession of a controlled substance, and unlawful possession of a firearm. Officer Kante handcuffed Huffman and placed him in the rear seat of the squad car while the officers completed their investigation.

While the officers drove toward the jail, Huffman managed to free his left hand from the handcuffs and kept his hands concealed behind his back. He then unbuckled his seatbelt and attempted to force open the locked rear door of the cruiser, prompting the officers to stop at approximately 6:10 PM on northbound I-35 near Illinois Avenue to address the situation.

The escape unfolded in a matter of seconds

When both officers stepped out to restrain Huffman, he scrambled into the driver’s seat and drove off. Officer Harper managed to get into the back seat before the car sped away, but Officer Kante was left outside. Huffman then drove erratically at speeds reaching approximately 50 miles per hour, throwing Officer Harper across the rear of the vehicle.

Officer Harper deployed his Taser in an attempt to stop Huffman, but Huffman pulled the wires away, rendering the device ineffective. In response, Harper drew his duty weapon and struck Huffman on the side of the head while the car was still in motion. Huffman, who had driven approximately 1,000 feet, then opened the driver’s side door and leaped from the moving vehicle, losing consciousness upon hitting the ground. Officer Harper was able to take control of the cruiser and avoid a collision.

Both Huffman and Officer Harper were transported to a local hospital. Harper was treated and released, while Huffman remained hospitalized. Huffman faces his original charges alongside new counts of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and escape from custody, per the Dallas Police Department’s official briefing.

The Dallas Police Department released relevant body-worn and dash camera footage of the incident in the interest of transparency, similar to how dashcam footage has been made public in other notable Texas cases involving law enforcement investigations. The Special Investigations Unit is handling the case, with the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office and the Office of Community Police Oversight both notified.

Huffman’s original arrest included an unlawful firearm possession charge, a type of offense that has drawn increased law enforcement attention in Texas, as seen in other Texas firearm possession cases that have recently attracted scrutiny. The investigation remains active, with authorities noting that details may change as forensic analysis and video review continue.