New Hampshire couple Matt Van Vliet and Samantha Labo’s love story began in a rather unromantic place: jail.
The pair was arrested on suspicion of underage drinking during their freshman year at Colby-Sawyer College (they were later cleared of the charges). They didn’t know each other at the time, but hit it off that night and began dating soon after.
Four years later, Van Vliet was ready to propose and knew just the person to help him do it: Police Chief Edward Andersen — the same officer who arrested the pair.
Andersen agreed to help Van Vliet with the proposal while he was off-duty late last year. He pulled the couple over when they were on their way to a farewell dinner.
The whole thing was recorded by a police dashboard camera.
Believe it or not, Van Vliet isn’t the first to propose this way. In July 2013, Canadian man Ben Vienneau orchestrated a fake arrest of his girlfriend, Marcia Belyea. After she was taken into the back seat of a police car, the officer told her they would waive any fines and let her go if she agreed to take Vienneau’s hand in marriage.
