The cold weather in Central China's Hubei Province came to the aid of local policemen and firemen on Monday, as they tried to apprehend a thief in the city of Ezhou. When firemen were called to the scene by policemen, they found a shirtless man hanging outside a sixth-floor window, trembling in the sub-freezing weather. It was later understood that the man was a fugitive habitual thief who had fled through the window of a balcony to evade police. Photo: Feidian Video

The cold weather in Central China's Hubei Province came to the aid of local policemen and firemen on Monday, as they tried to apprehend a thief in the city of Ezhou.

When firemen were called to the scene by policemen, they found a shirtless man hanging outside a sixth-floor window, trembling in the sub-freezing weather. It was later understood that the man was a fugitive habitual thief who had fled through the window of a balcony to evade police. 

In order to prevent the the man from falling, one policeman handcuffed himself to the thief after he became emotional and threatened to jump off the building. 

Eventually, the suspended thief was persuaded to give up by the police, the firemen, and most importantly, the cold weather. With the man too exhausted to move, the firemen lowered a rope through the window and pulled him back to safety. 

The case is currently under further investigation.

Global Times