A man who tried escaping from Police by running away while still handcuffed will be appearing in Tauranga Court on Monday.

Motorists on Hewletts Road were surprised to find themselves being overtaken by a police officer sprinting after a handcuffed man on Saturday.

Sonya Mabey, a passenger in a car travelling from Mount Maunganui towards Tauranga, started filming the police pursuit at around 3.14pm.

"We had left from Bayfair heading towards Tauranga on Hewletts Road. We saw a guy running down the road with handcuffs on, and a police officer chasing behind him," says Sonya.

"A person in a car in front of us tried to stop him. That’s when he crossed Hewletts Road and headed down Totara Street."

Sonya says once she stopped recording, more police, in cars, arrived at the scene.

"A police officer in a car with lights on came up behind us and went down Totara Street. And another one came from Tauranga and went down Totara Street as well."

A Tauranga police officer spinting after a man in handcuffs who tried to escape across Hewletts Road on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Screenshot/Sonya Mabey.

Police say a 30-year-old man was arrested and is due to appear in Tauranga District Court on Monday, December 4 facing charges including assaulting a person in a family relationship, and possessing an offensive weapon.

"The man attempted to escape police custody after being placed under arrest shortly after 3pm yesterday, Saturday 2 December, outside a business premises near Kereiti Street, Mount Maunganui,' says a police spokesperson. 

"He was apprehended after a brief pursuit on foot."

Sonya says that the police officer chasing the man was trying to talk on his radio while sprinting.

"And he had his big heavy vest on. Good on you police officer! He obviously doesn't eat a lot of doughnuts; he's a fit young officer,' says Sonya.

"I recorded it because we were so shocked at what we were seeing. It’s not every day you see a man with handcuffs running down the road being chased by police."

Sonya has posted her video to Facebook where it has already received 75,000 views in 24 hours.