Photo Credit: Jerod Harris/Getty Images Reacher executive producer, Mick Betancourt, a veteran producer, writer, and showrunner whose credits include Chicago Fire, The Mob Doctor, Chicago P.D., and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, witnessed a violent crime in real time and decided to intervene. Betancourt later described the incident in a Substack post. There, he said he chased an alleged assault suspect for over half a mile before the individual was apprehended.
Mick Betancourt says he caught a robbery/assault suspect in New York City Mick Betancourt, who is known for producing and writing several crime shows, including Reacher, became involved in a real-life incident that resembled the kind of stories depicted on screen. Betancourt described the incident in a Substack post. On Friday, April 10, 2026, he was on the Lower East Side with his wife when he witnessed a man running with a stolen bottle of alcohol.
A shorter man, believed to be the owner of the establishment, was chasing him. “As they wrestled, I looked around, and nobody was helping. Nobody jumped in — including me,” he recalled.
“In a flash, during the standing wrestling match, the robber got a hold of one of the store owner’s legs, lifted it up, effectively whiplashing the owner from a standing position, to slamming his head into the concrete.” Betancourt initially believed the owner had died from the impact and made a split-second decision to act. He began chasing the suspect. “I didn’t want to go back to the scene and see them pulling a sheet over the guy or running caution tape around him and think I could’ve done something in that moment,” he said.
In the Substack post, he described the chase in detail. He also explained it, saying,”‘You caught the wrong one today, motherf****r,’ I said, ‘You’re not gonna outrun me, and if you turn and engage, I’ll kill you. I’ll take your life.
But I’ll sit on the curb with you. You can even finish the bottle while we wait for the cops.’” The chase spanned over half a mile and included obstacles such as crossing fences. Betancourt later encountered Housing Authority police officers, who assisted in the pursuit.
The suspect was eventually apprehended. The store owner who was injured in the incident was alive. The individual was identified as 35-year-old Iysa Muhammad (via The Hollywood Reporter).
He was charged with third-degree robbery and second-degree assault. Betancourt’s actions drew attention due to the unusual nature of the incident involving a television writer.