Police in Pheonix, Arizona, have arrested a man after train surveillance footage showed him forcing a disabled woman out of her wheelchair in an apparent attempt to steal it.

In the video - which was later released by the Phoenix Police Department - 26-year-old Austin Shurbutt can be seen wearing reindeer slippers as he stands up from his seat on the light rail and approaches the woman sat in her wheelchair.

At first, it looks as if Shurbutt is going to attempt to push the defenseless woman off the train, but he then proceeds to tip her chair and dump her onto the floor.

The upsetting incident took place at around 3:40PM on Black Friday, as the train pulled into the station at 12th Street and Jefferson.

After sharing the footage across social media, the Phoenix Police Department confirmed in a subsequent post that Shurbutt had been identified and arrested.

They wrote: "The reindeer slipper wearing criminal who tried to rob a woman from her wheelchair is under arrest.

"Austin Shurbutt was captured this afternoon after thousands of you helped share his picture across social media.

"The 26-year-old has two outstanding warrants and now faces 5 new charges including robbery, kidnapping and assault for dumping a woman out of her wheelchair on the light rail and taking the chair. Good Samaritans came to the rescue and got the wheelchair back from Shurbutt.

"He was still wearing the reindeer slippers when he was arrested."

Police have also revealed that Shurbutt also had two outstanding warrants and faces charges of robbery, kidnapping, and assault.

Police in Pheonix, Arizona, have arrested a man after train surveillance footage showed him forcing a disabled woman out of her wheelchair in an apparent attempt to steal it.

In the video - which was later released by the Phoenix Police Department - 26-year-old Austin Shurbutt can be seen wearing reindeer slippers as he stands up from his seat on the light rail and approaches the woman sat in her wheelchair.

At first, it looks as if Shurbutt is going to attempt to push the defenseless woman off the train, but he then proceeds to tip her chair and dump her onto the floor.

The upsetting incident took place at around 3:40PM on Black Friday, as the train pulled into the station at 12th Street and Jefferson.

After sharing the footage across social media, the Phoenix Police Department confirmed in a subsequent post that Shurbutt had been identified and arrested.

They wrote: "The reindeer slipper wearing criminal who tried to rob a woman from her wheelchair is under arrest.

"Austin Shurbutt was captured this afternoon after thousands of you helped share his picture across social media.

"The 26-year-old has two outstanding warrants and now faces 5 new charges including robbery, kidnapping and assault for dumping a woman out of her wheelchair on the light rail and taking the chair. Good Samaritans came to the rescue and got the wheelchair back from Shurbutt.

"He was still wearing the reindeer slippers when he was arrested."

Police have also revealed that Shurbutt also had two outstanding warrants and faces charges of robbery, kidnapping, and assault.