Rain Helps Police Officers On Foot Catch A Suspect Making A Getaway In A Vehicle

Having all this rain in Amarillo has been nice!  My lawn is greener, my roses are blooming, and Amarillo Police officers are catching criminals?  I had to question myself, but that's correct.  Rain actually helped officers on foot catch a suspect fleeing in a vehicle.  How did liquid water in the form of droplets help officers catch a suspect?  There's gotta be some kind of science behind this, let's take a look at the story.

Amarillo Police

"On 7-14-14, at about 11:55 PM, officers were at the scene of a hit and run traffic collision that resulted in downed power lines in the area of the 4500 block of Hardin. Officers had flares out on the roadway and were directing traffic when a dark gray 2009 Lexus approached the accident scene and nearly drove across the line of flares. Officers recognized the vehicle and the driver as a suspect that had an outstanding felony warrant."

So that's the set up, how exactly did rain help them catch this suspect when they were on foot and he was driving a vehicle?

APD (continued)

"This suspect had driven away from officers when they tried to stop him on more than one occasion earlier this week. When the officer walked toward the vehicle, the suspect/driver turned around and sped away northbound, driving into the dead end 4400 block of S. Lamar. With officers still pursuing on foot, the suspect turned east into a lot, struck a curb, and blew out a tire. The suspect then drove back southbound on Lamar, crossing 45th and then hitting a stop sign at Lamar and Hardin. The fugitive and vehicle continued across Hardin and drove over the curb into an unpaved lot. The evening’s rain had turned the lot into mud, and the vehicle became stuck."

Oh now I see...  Yeah that makes sense, so what happens next?

APD (continued)

"The suspect, John Andree Maxwell BM 46 of Amarillo, got out of the car and ran south and west toward the shopping center south of 45th and S. Georgia. Officers attempted to use a TASER to take him into custody, but the TASER didn’t strike the man. He did, however, stop running and was taken into custody without injury or additional resistance. He was booked into the Randall County Jail on felony theft warrant F1231426W out of Dallas County, along with charges of evading arrest or detention and evading arrest or detention using a motor vehicle."