Man escapes police by swimming into lake in Lahti

Police in Häme reported an unusual chase in Lahti on Saturday evening after a man fled on foot and then swam into Vesijärvi lake to evade capture.

A call to police just before 10 pm reported a man and a woman testing car and house doors on Kivakatu. The pair had left by the time officers arrived, but a patrol later encountered a man matching the description, around 30 years old, at a nearby shop.

As police conducted a security check, the man bolted. Officers attempted to stop him, but he pushed past and continued running toward Paapuurinkatu before entering the lake. Police estimate he swam about 20 meters from shore and refused to return. A police boat later retrieved him from the water.

Items left behind at the shop included drugs and two bladed weapons. The man was taken to Lahti central police station on suspicion of assaulting an official, drug offenses, and illegal possession of bladed weapons.

Häme police recorded 626 incidents over the weekend by Sunday morning.