A man staged his own arrest with the help of a police officer as an elaborate ruse to propose to his long term girlfriend. Beth had been badgering Jim Bates to propose to him for months. But every time she thought he was about to pop the question, he never would. Secretly, Jim planned with buddies from the police department a fake arrest that would throw his fiancee-to-be completely off the scent. As the couple travel to a local clothes outlet in Jupiter, Florida, they are suddenly pulled over by a cop car. As Jim stands with his back to the officer, he is handcuffed and told to get down on his knees. Unbeknown to his confused girlfriend still sat in the passenger seat of the car, Jim is holding an engagement ring in his hands. As the officer calls out to her to come out with her hands up, she edges towards the policeman, who tells her to stand in front of Jim. Then suddenly, the officer says, ‘ok, sir - over to you’. At this moment, Jim bends his knee and brings out the ring. Beth gasps suddenly with shock, before saying, ‘Yes’.