Police Beat 11/7/2018: Honestly, officer

A Conscious Crook

It’s important to take time for self-reflection, even in the middle of an arrest, apparently. University of Arizona Police Department officers caught an oddly self-aware bicycle thief in the act the morning of Oct. 24.

A UAPD officer was searching for two other men suspected of bicycle theft when he spotted a man near the bike racks outside the Student Recreation Center messing with multiple bikes.

The officer parked his patrol vehicle nearby and watched the man remove parts off of two different bikes.

After calling for backup, the officer approached the man, who was still holding the stolen parts, and instructed him to sit on the ground. The man immediately complied.

Then, according to the report, the man, without any prompting, said, “That was stupid of me, getting caught stealing bike parts. I just sell the parts for money.”

The man further cooperated by identifying himself to the officer and informing him that he had multiple arrest warrants.

A records check conducted by the officer confirmed that the man truly did have four warrants out on him from the Tucson Police Department.

The officer placed the man under arrest for the theft and outstanding warrants.

A second officer arrived on scene and searched the man. On him, the officer found a clear plastic bag that contained smaller plastic bag with a white powder in it. He also found bike parts in the man’s jacket. The second officer put the man in the squad car.

The first officer searched the man’s bag after the man admitted to possessing drugs and having a syringe.

Inside the bag, the officer did find a syringe but no narcotics. There was a clear plastic bag inside and pieces of foil with burnt heroin residue on them. A field test of the residue in one of the bags revealed the substance as methamphetamine.

Also inside the bag were several bike parts, a pair of 18-inch bolt cutters and wire cutters.

The second officer issued a six-month exclusionary order from all UA property to the man. He was then transported to Pima County Jail.

Punch Drunk

After a knockout night of underage drinking and making other residents uncomfortable, a student had the cops called on him for his alleged violent behavior Oct. 21.

UAPD officers arrived at Posada San Pedro Residence Hall at approximately 3 a.m. and spoke with the Resident Assistant on duty. She told them that a student was drunk and disturbing other student by making loud noises, throwing objects and punching walls.

The student’s roommate informed officers that the student was acting violently, including punching walls, which was making the roommate fear for his safety.

The officers found the student in his room lying in his bed, though he was not asleep. They noted that he displayed signs of intoxication.

The student told the officers that he had drank an “average amount of alcohol for a college student,” according to the report. He then said that he had not been loud or violent.

During his conversation with the officers, the student was repeatedly punching his own hand, which was red at the knuckles. When one of the officers questioned him about this, the student said he was punching his own hand to prevent himself from punching the officers.

One of the officers tried multiple times to get the student to go to bed, but the student refused and came closer to the officers despite their commands to stop.

A friend of the student attempted to get the student back into bed, but the student pushed him out of the way. The friend was reported as uninjured. The student continued toward the officers.

One of the officers informed the student he was under arrest and instructed him to turn around and put his hands behind his back.

The officer reached for his right hand, but the student pulled away. It took two of the officers to get the student’s hands behind his back and in handcuffs.

While being escorted to the squad car, he continued to attempt to break away.

The officers transported the student to Pima County Jail where he was booked on charges of underage possession with alcohol in body.

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