SEATTLE, Wash. -- A handcuffed suspect took off on foot after somehow getting behind the wheel of a police car, driving away and then crashing it.

Police said the man had been arrested in South Seattle in connection with another auto theft and was left in the patrol car while officers interviewed witnesses.

"He was placed in the back of a police car, handcuffs behind his back, which is standard procedure. At some point during their investigation, he was able to get his handcuffs in front of himself, and then move through the screen, wiggle his way through the screen into the front seat," said police spokesman Rich Pruitt.

The suspect led police on a short chase before crashing the cruiser in a wooded area off Harbor Avenue. Police put out a dragnet involving more than a dozen officers. Using nighttime infrared equipment, a helicopter spotted the suspect and guided officers on the ground to him. He was arrested after a brief scuffle.

"The initial charge of auto theft, I imagine now he'll have a secondary charge of auto theft because he stole our police car. The fact he damaged the police car is also a crime," said Pruitt.