It's not just the US Postal Service that lives by this creed. During the February snow storms, officers were called out to a homicide in West Bremerton. Detectives and crime scene personnel dutifully responded from home, some ferried to the scene by those with 4x4 capable vehicles. Normal professional attire was dispensed in favor of jeans, parkas and snow boots. Dare-devil of the evening was Detective Beau Ayers, who bravely volunteered to dive, slip, slide and coax our Crime Scene vehicle up an icy hill. I know the snow storm is old news, but these photos recently came to my attention, so I thought I would share.

Bad dad of the year award goes to....

On Friday just before noon, a man and a little girl approached a woman fueling her truck at the gas station at Sheridan Road and Wheaton Way. The man asked the victim for a ride. The woman felt sorry for the little girl, so she agreed to provide a ride. Once in the truck, the man pulled out a knife and forced the victim out of her truck. He then fled in the stolen truck. Law enforcement agencies were on high alert, looking for the truck. Investigators began researching the possible identity of the man and little girl. At 1:22 P.M., the stolen truck arrived at the Bangor Submarine Base gate and tried to run the checkpoint. In the process, it crashed into a light pole just inside the gate. In a disturbing scene filmed by onlookers, the man got out of the truck and crawled around on the ground. The man's five-year-old daughter also got out and appeared frightened and confused. Base security officers took the suspect into custody and later turned him over to BPD, who responded up to Bangor. He was acting bizarrely and told the officers he had been taking methamphetamine. The little girl and the suspect were taken to the hospital. The child was later released to her mother. The suspect was taken to jail for multiple felony charges.



Fly with the Chief

This past Saturday, I had to opportunity to take James and Jason Boutcher on a one-hour flight around the Hood Canal. The flight was part of a raffle hosted by a local charitable organization. The winning bidder donated the flight to the Boutcher family. The morning flight was canceled due to unexpectedly low clouds, but they cleared off nicely in the afternoon. Jason graciously allowed his younger brother to take the front seat. I am confident these exceedingly polite young  men will go far in life. 

"Hey! You left you pizza on top...Never Mind"

Reader Bill R. reported a new twist on the old "I forgot the coffee on top off the car" gaffe. While driving on Kitsap Way last Tuesday, an SUV pulled out onto Kitsap Way in front of him. Bill saw what he thought was a packet of paperwork fly off the roof of the SUV. The SUV stopped and started backing up on Kitsap Way, toward Bill. Bill hit the brakes, passed over the packet of papers and stopped inches from the SUV's bumper. As Bill started to go around the SUV, the driver jumped out and yelled, "Don't run over it" to the car right behind him. Bill looked in his rear-view mirror and realized the object was not a packet of papers but a pizza box. The front wheel of the car was centered right on the pizza. Flat bread anyone?

Don't be a jerk to those trying to help you - a good motto to live by.

A 58-year-old man became too intoxicated at a local tavern and was asked to leave. A taxi was called to transport the man home. Once the taxi reached its destination, the driver tried to help the male out of the van. He felt his evening was not over so he assaulted the taxi driver. [Now fast forward to get to the good parts.] Driver calls police. Police arrest man. Police take man to hospital to get cleared for jail. Shortly after the officers cleared the hospital, they were called to return after the still highly intoxicated male punched a nurse in the face. Restraints were the order of the day. Later in the shift, BPD officers picked up the now cleared man and booked him in the jail for assaulting the taxi driver and the nurse. [Sergeant Todd Byers]

Not everything is as it seems

Police were called to the parking lot of a local grocery after a couple spotted a newborn asleep inside a car with no adults around. Who would do such a thing? The car's owner was located and what did we find? It was just a very realistic doll. The woman didn't think anyone would think it was realm but agreed to put her doll in the trunk next time. [Sergeant Jeff Schaefer]



We have a place for you to stay 

Officers Steven Forbragd and Alex George responded to a local store for a report of an elderly male having a temper tantrum, throwing items and interfering with an ambulance crew. Turns out, the man somehow found a way to get booted from one of our lower priced inns. The man's girlfriend was being evaluated by medics for chest and knee pain and he became enraged when he was not allowed to go with her in the ambulance to the hospital. After trying to get into the ambulance, officers took hold of the boyfriend, who responded by spitting in Officer Forbragd's face. Needless to say, he was taken to jail after a brief struggle. Sergeant Garrity was left, quite literally, holding a bag of kittens, and so much more.

The old switcheroo

BFFs Officers Derek Ejde and Brandon Greenhill of our Directed Enforcement Team (the bike team for everyone else) made a not so-routine stop on a vehicle driven by, let's just say, someone they were very familiar with and knew to have a suspended license. As they approached the vehicle, their keen eyes observed the suspect and passenger "frantically" changing seats. It's truly amazing how often this happens. There was a slight tussle while detaining the subjects who feigned astonishment at the officers' observations. The actual driver was taken to jail; charges were forwarded on his all too willing accomplice.

Beer, Hit and Run and more Beer 

An intoxicated driver failed in his attempt to pass another car by going into the oncoming lane on Kitsap Way. He ended up side-swiping the vehicle he was attempting to pass. An alert and determined witness followed the suspect to his final resting place on Bledsoe Avenue in east Bremerton. Corporal Steven Polonsky arrived and discovered the suspect slumped over the steering wheel, asleep and surrounded by a plethora of open beer cans strewn about the interior of his vehicle (including one held firmly in his grasp). Thankfully, no one was injured. Unthankfully, the driver's insurance was not confirmed. A huge "thank you" to the Washington State Patrol who arrived and processed the driver for DUI. [Sergeant Todd Byers]

Criminal Trespass and Resisting

A woman failed to follow the reasonable rules that the Salvation Army asks its guests to abide by. She was asked to leave and refused. 911 was called. Corporal Jason Vertefeuille arrived and directed the female to leave and not return or she would face arrest. She left...temporarily. When she returned a short time later, Corporal Vertefeuille went back to the scene and attempted to place the female under arrest. After yelling at Corporal Vertefeuille, the woman grabbed Corporal Vertefeuille's glasses. The struggle was on. As expected, Corporal Vertefeuille prevailed, incurring minor abrasions while the woman ended up in handcuffs. The Salvation Army Security attested to the professionalism Corporal Vertefeuille displayed with the difficult woman. She was booked for trespassing and resisting arrest. [Sergeant Todd Byers]

The Clean Up continues as the Diaspora (not in a biblical sense) from recent warrant services are attempting to find new places to hide
SOG Detectives observed a familiar vehicle driven at a high rate of speed by a very familiar male with outstanding warrants. Detectives maintained a visual as it continued throughout the streets of our city. Eventually our Directed Enforcement Team, Officers Brandon Greenhill and Derek Ejde, caught up with our offender at the Rocky Point Mobile Home Park. The driver was arrested for his warrants and the female passenger was permitted to leave but didn't. The cooperative driver admitted to one of the officers that there was an "item" in his vehicle [Translation: drugs] and gave consent for the officers to search the car and recover the drugs. Imagine the surprise to all who were there when the "item" could not be located in the vehicle...even after the driver tried to direct officers to where he had last stashed it. Attention now turned on the passenger, who should have left when she was told she was free to leave. She admitted she had discreetly snatched the "item" and placed it in her purse prior to exiting the vehicle. During the search incident to her arrest, the following items were recovered:

Well done SOG Detectives and Directed Enforcement TEAM! [Sergeant Todd Byers]

Officer Chapman inspires his Field Training Officer

At around 3 A.M. Kitsap 911 began receiving calls from concerned citizens reporting a man yelling for help from the water in the area of Anderson Cove. Officer Mitchell Chapman and his Field Training Officer arrived in the area and quickly confirmed that a male was somewhere in the water and in need of assistance. Rather than waste time waiting for a patrol or rescue boat to respond, Officer Chapman assumed the role of 1st Mate and joined a 74-year-old good citizen in his eight-foot two-person dingy. The two ventured out into the Sound, and a short while later they reached the man, who had drifted ashore. The eight-foot two person dingy quickly became an eight-foot three-person dingy. Once the three navigated to the nearby marina, Bremerton Fire paramedics took over medical care. The man refused to say how he ended up in the water at 3 A.M., but his busted lip, swollen eye, extensive bruising across his chest and tops of his legs along with his complaints of back pain provide some indication as to the direction from where he initially entered the water. The man was transported to Harrison for observation. While Officer Chapman is a humble man, his Field Training Officer commented that seeing Officer Chapman perched at the bow of the boat reminded him of another American Hero. Since coming to us as an experienced officer from a law enforcement agency in Wyoming, Officer Chapman has proven to be a valuable addition to our BPD family. [Sergeant Todd Byers]

Lucky to be alive.

Fans of the Discovery Channel survival show Naked and Afraid (and who isn't), will be interested to know Bremerton had its own spin-off last week. At 9 A.M. one morning last week, a citizen walking on Lower Wheaton Way near Parkside Place spotted a naked man at the bottom of a very deep ravine. The caller thought the male may be having a seizure or was dead. Bremerton Fire Medics arrived on scene along with Officer Brock Gorang and Sergeant Duke Roessel. The subject could be seen at the bottom of the creek bed approximately 100 feet below the roadway. Officers led medics to this nearly inaccessible area by a short cut via the beach. Upon arrival, the man clad only in his tighty-whiteys, quickly doffed his undies and ran away headlong into a thicket of blackberry bushes. Based on the man's lack of clothing, the 28-degree temperature, the report of a possible seizure and his odd behavior, the man was quickly located and detained. The subject could not verbally communicate and was shivering badly. A ladder and rope rescue was used to extricate the subject from the ravine and then was transported to the hospital. Sergeant Roessel reported finding the man's sweet shack that would make any bush crafter proud. It was well-appointed with a view of the Olympics and oyster shell ground cover. When Sergeant Roessel spoke with the man nine hours later at the hospital, he still looked cold and was covered in scratches. He thanked the police officers and fire fighters for saving his life. [Sergeants Todd Byers & Duke Roessel]

Dueling dope finds

SOG and DET executed a search warrant at the 100 block of S. Marion Avenue, which resulted in several arrests and the recovery of a large amount of methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine. I'm sure all of the neighbors are happy about the proactive police work. Not to be outdone, NCIS conducted a buy bust in east Bremerton which resulted in the recovery of a large amount of Molly, LSD and other drugs.

Possession of heroin and bad clichés.

At around 2:30 A.M., Sergeant Ryan Heffernan was checking the area of Marine Drive and Bertha Avenue when he observed a male walking at the back side of Arnold's Furniture headed the opposite direction he was just going. Since we recently had quite a few nighttime commercial burglaries in the area, this required further scrutiny. When contacted, the man could not explain why he would randomly change directions behind a business in the middle of the night. The male did not want to give his name until he was recognized by a responding officer. Now he gave his name, knowing he had warrants. Since his strategy did not work, he changed it up. He said "This is going to sound cliché, but I just found this backpack." He was right. It was way too cliché. He was arrested on his warrants. Inside the backpack was the largest chunk of black tar heroin...marijuana butter!?! What? The suspect claimed that the dark brown substance was not heroin, but marijuana butter that he burnt while cooking it. Regardless of that story, heroin was found in the syringes that were in his backpack. He was booked on his warrants and for possession of heroin. We didn't know marijuana butter was a thing. Maybe it is. Here is what we found. We'll see what the lab says it is. Any bets? [Corporal Mike Nelson]