A man trying to escape from US police shimmied down a chimney in Massachusetts - but got stuck.
He fled onto a rooftop, channelling what the Fall River Police Department described as "the essence of the seasonal icon".
However, he ended up having to be rescued by the detectives who were chasing him after becoming wedged inside a chimney.
Bodycam video from the police department shows a detective shouting: "Hey he's on the roof. Get down here!"
Detectives were alerted moments later by a bystander that a man was "screaming" inside a nearby chimney.
Police climbed up the roof and peered down into the shaft with a flashlight to see the man stuck.
"You’re an idiot," one of them said.
Detectives called in firefighters who had to carefully knock out bricks to free the man.
"Due to his Santa-antics (the man) was transported to a local hospital out of caution," police said.
Another man sought by police was seen jumping off the roof and over a fence, escaping capture.
