By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Two local men who thought they’d apprehended a common thief actually captured a murder suspect yesterday in downtown Centralia.
Police were called about 12:30 p.m. after the owner of a vehicle parked along the 400 block of North Tower Avenue saw a stranger inside his vehicle.
The owner confronted the man, who took off running, according to the Centralia Police Department.
“The owner and another citizen chased him down the street, found him about a block away,” Sgt. Dave Clary said. “They took him to the ground to detain him.”
When arriving officers checked the suspect’s name, they found he had an outstanding murder warrant from Alameda County in California, Clary said.
Lemario D. Thomas, 27, from Hayward, was booked into the Lewis County Jail on the warrant. He was also cited for vehicle prowl, the sergeant said.
Clary said the two men definitely did law enforcement a “good turn,” however, he doesn’t advocate people chasing down and confronting suspects.
“It was lawful, but the fact is, they were tangling with a murder suspect,” he said.
Fortunately, Thomas wasn’t found to have any weapons on him, Clary said.
Thomas told police he was just looking for some change, to get out of town, he said.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Yes, there is a close relationship between Federal Law Enforcement and a stipulation that allows the police to keep any and all property and valuables associated with a Federal crime.
State laws are far more restrictive and don’t allow cops to basically identify valuable property, look for some low-hanging fruit in the form of small-time dealers just trying to feed a habit, get him to tell a lie in order to frame the person with the valuable property with a crime, and then let the dominoes fall. All of a sudden it’s a CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY involving a NETWORK or HIGH LEVEL dealers trafficking POUNDS of $20,000 per ounce crystal METH. The bust is so big, and so expensive, the local fraud squad has to call in the FBI for “help”, giving them all the rights they need to keep everything for themselves.
The cops make out like bandits, they get to buy new tactical gear to intimidate the public, new devices that torture instead of kill, and military vehicles to fight the “scourge” of “high level drug traffickers” “invading” little ol’ Lewis County.
The kids, the community, and the standard of living all pay the price. And when the budget is debated again, the same teachers, counselors, community leaders, concerned citizens, and students will all BEG for more money to buy books, repair school roofs, pay the school janitor, or repair the skatepark, but the cops will be right there to acknowledge that all those things are important, but if they don’t get THEIR budget approved, all those who need more money will be in jeopardy because the poor poor cops won’t have the resources to protect them from all the crazy dope psychos tearing up the towns.
There is no money in busting a murderer, Billy Orr. But if they bust a “drug king pin” – whooo boy, it’s like Christmas in July! They get to pick and choose from any items remotely associated with the crime – and, in some jurisdictions, they keep what they find! How about when there is a drug bust – from snitches or just regular police work – the “bounty” is PROHIBITED from going to law enforcement? Let’s change the law so that it HAS to go to charity! I wonder how THAT might impact the “drug king pin” arrests. And if they happen to go down – well, we can “say” it is due to great police work and not just a change in motivation.
Way to go….that is awesome.
Funny, they don’t mind it when people help them by snitching out others for favors, putting them in danger, and offering no protection.
But, as soon as the people start doing the cop’s jobs for them without bothering to kiss ass and ask for favors first, all of a sudden it’s “We don’t recommend doing that”.
What a crock.
Do you guys want the community’s help or not? Or do only want the community to sit around and rat people out when they find it expedient to do so?
Last I knew, it cost nothing to leave town.