Police Catch Suspected Thief Hanging on Telephone Wire

Thieves will often go to great lengths to avoid being caught, even if it might put them in physical danger. Police in Vancouver, Washington learned that firsthand in a recent arrest. 

On March 23, police in the city responded to a call about a suspected thief breaking into a vehicle and stealing several items, then allegedly stealing a bike from a nearby yard. According to Fox News, a neighbor spotted a man identified later as Romando E. Stanley stealing the bike and went after the suspect, causing him to drop the bike and run away. 

What came next was an hourslong chase around town. While police responded to the initial reports, the authorities received another report that a man matching Stanley’s description came into their business, snatched an employee’s cell phone, and punched them in the chest before taking off once again. 

Officers were then dispatched to a third location after receiving reports that the man was on a roof and throwing bricks down below, damaging several nearby buildings. At first, crisis negotiators tried to get Stanley to get down from the roof, but he had other plans. He tried to cross the street by standing and holding on to telephone wires. He remained hanging above the street for nearly an hour. 

Eventually, Stanley reportedly couldn’t hold on any longer and fell from the wires. A Vancouver Fire Department truck was parked underneath to break his fall, and he was quickly taken to the hospital for evaluation. After that, he was booked into local jail on robbery, theft, and malicious mischief charges.

Needless to say it could have ended a lot worse for Stanley if they were live power lines instead.