Maybe this guy needs to do more cardio.  Because he NEVER should have been caught . . .

25-year-old Dante Flowers was spotted driving a stolen car in Hartford, Connecticut last Friday.  Then cops used their cars to box him in, and he took off on foot.

But he was chased down by a cop who was wearing a bow tie and TAP-DANCING shoes.

The cop's name is Jay Montrose.  It's not clear if he was off-duty or what, but he's a detective-in-training.  So he has to wear a tie, and prefers the bow tie look.  Unfortunately there's no word on what the tap shoes were about.

He caught up with Dante about two blocks away and arrested him.

He's facing charges for first-degree larceny, interfering with police, and driving on a suspended license.  And when they searched him, they found crack.  So he's also facing a drug charge.

(Hartford Courant / AP / Twitter)

(Here's a photo of Jay in his bow tie.)