Vigilante
Vigilantes are groups of men that will aid you if you find yourself being chased through a city. If you are being chased and you enter into an area with vigilantes in it, they will step in and impede the way of the guards who are trying to chase you. You can unlock Vigilantes throughout cities in the game by saving female Citizens that you find who are in trouble with the guards.
They will grab guards, knock them over, rough them up a bit. Whatever it takes to get them off your back while you run away and make a clean getaway. Alternatively you can use them to stop the guards from defending themselves giving you a quick and easy kill. If a large number of guards are chasing you, you can use them to block a few of the men whilst you deal with the rest.