A former Hawke's Bay man dubbed "Bro Witness" by American media after chasing a fatal Capitol Hill police pursuit shirtless on his bike has gone viral on social media.
Matt Jacobs, 26, was holidaying in Washington on Thursday when he saw a woman in a black sports car try to ram a barricade at the White House, before driving into a police car and then attempting to flee.
Shirtless, he jumped on his rental bike to chase the unfolding drama. After a brief car pursuit the woman was killed in a hail of police bullets.
Mr Jacobs was later swamped by reporters wanting the first interview, many of whom tweeted about his lack of shirt and Miami Dolphins cap. He told eager reporters he had "followed the car with the chick in it" from the White House, Daily Beast reporter Ben Jacobs said.
His Napier-based mother Jo Pearson yesterday rang Hawke's Bay Today for more information about the incident and her son's part in the dramatic and ultimately tragic car-chase.