SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CBS13) ―
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It all started just before 4 a.m. this morning at a Chevron station at Howe Ave. and College Town. The gas station attendant called police to report a man and woman in their early 20's in a domestic dispute. When a Sacramento Police officer arrived, he tried to break-up the fight and soon realized the suspect had a gun. The male suspect was able to break free and took the officer's police cruiser.

It was all caught on surveillance video given exclusively to CBS13. The suspect can be see taking off in the patrol car through the gas station parking lot.

"He burned rubber down here and down La Riviera," said truck driver John Dolan who witnessed the fight.

About a half and hour later, the police car was found abandoned at Howe Ave. and La Riviera Dr. The weapons in the police car, a shotgun and stun gun, were still inside the patrol car. The suspect took off on foot and returned to the scene of the crime.

The surveillance video shows the suspect running back through the Chevron parking lot. That's when the truck driver who had seen the original fight tried to take the suspect down.

"I just kinda tackled him and tried stopping him from getting in his car. I didn't want him to get away, the guy was nuts," explained Dolan.

But the suspect was able to get away and back into his own car with his girlfriend and get away from the police again.

"We feel pretty fortunate the officer wasn't shot. This guy was pretty violent, was brave enough to steal a squad car and had a gun on him," said Norm Leong of the Sacramento Police Department.

Luckily for police, before the fighting and stealing, the suspect had chatted with a 7-11 clerk down the street and was captured on their surveillance cameras.

He is described as white or Hispanic male, in his 20's, six feet tall and visible tattoos.

Police also recovered the gun they believe the man was holding when he took the patrol car.