Police have apprehended the suspect in an armed abduction who is believed to have streamed the alleged kidnapping in multiple Facebook Live videos.
According to ABC News, West Virginia State Police arrested Justin Green, 31, of Chapmanville, West Virginia, on Monday, after a nearly 60 mile chase that began when the alleged victim’s mother called 911 to say she had seen video of her son’s abduction on Facebook.
The alleged kidnapping victim, Terry Miller, was reportedly at the wheel of the car as police were pursuing it.
“While the troopers were behind the vehicle, troopers could see a knife through the back window of the truck,” West Virginia State Police Sgt. John Dotson told the news station WCHS.
“They could see altercations going on between the driver and the passenger. The passenger would start hitting the victim while he was driving.”
The men are reportedly acquainted, and Miller told police he agreed to give Green a ride before he was allegedly taken hostage by the suspect.
In the videos, Miller can reportedly be heard saying “I’m just trying to get home alive” and “Why, me?”
Although Facebook has come under fire in recent months for what appears to be a rash of violent videos streamed on the social media platform, Sgt. Dotson told WCHS that in this case, the videos will help bring the suspect to justice.
“The people that do end up using it don’t really care if they get caught or not, because they are putting it on Facebook,” he said. ”
“But it does make the case a lot easier to be able to prove.”
Photo: West Virginia State Police