A local man was heading from Kempsey to Crescent Head last Monday evening before he found himself involved in a police operation and carrying out a citizen's arrest.
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The man had heard the news earlier in the day that two men had been arrested following an armed robbery at the Crescent Head Country Club in the early hours of the morning, and that one alleged suspect was on the run.
"I was heading from Kempsey to Crescent Head and had gone down Old Station Rd and was coming out of Seale Rd, I was turning left to head to Crescent Head and as I looked right to see if any cars were coming I saw a man scoot across the road into the trees between Seale Rd and the Tip Rd," the man said.
"I didn't expect to see the alleged robber but everyone knew that day that someone was on the run."
The local man, who has chosen to remain anonymous, got out of his car and stopped a police vehicle heading along Crescent Head Rd.
"I waved the police down and told them I had just seen a man run into the bush near the Tip Rd," he said.
He then made the decision to enter the bushland himself in an attempt to follow the alleged robber.
"I knew he was only a couple of minutes ahead of me and knew he had been running all day so I guessed he would be tired," the man said.
"I also used to ride motocross in the area and I knew he would hit the fire trail and just keep going."
The brave resident followed the alleged armed robber through the bush for three kilometres.
"When I got close enough to him, he had seen me and was hiding, so I just jumped on him and put him in a headlock and he surrendered pretty quickly," he said.
For the next 20 minutes the local resident walked the alleged robber out of the bush to the police as night began to fall.
"I just spoke to him and told him we were going to walk out of the bush together and that was it. He really listened to me and was compliant," he said.
When looking back on making the decision to follow the alleged robber into the bush, the local resident said he did not even think twice.
"I saw where he went in, I know the area and I felt comfortable out here and felt I had the ability and was in the position to do something. I felt obliged that I had to do it," he said.
"I wouldn't expect an older lady to run off into the bush. But I just felt I was able to do this and was in a place where I could step in and help.
"I did what I thought was the right thing to do at the time."
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