A man was arrested last week after allegedly trying to steal a bicycle from in front of the Gladstone Police Department in Oregon.
Cops posted surveillance footage of the apparent theft attempt. An individual wearing a dark colored hoodie and apparent face covering walked up to the station with what seemed to be bolt cutters. He began working on it, but not even a minute passed before a cop stepped outside and confronted him.
The officer ordered him against the wall, pulled out a taser, commanded him to get on the ground, and handcuffed the individual. A female cop later ran out to assist the arrest. The two were then joined by a male officer.
The time stamp is dated Thursday, just before 6:30 p.m.
“It’s dumb, you know,” GPD spokesman Sgt. Carl Bell told ABC News. “I have not actually seen something that blatant because the officers were inside watching on video camera.”
The suspect was identified as 26-year-old Adam Valle. He was charged with theft, criminal mischief, and felon in possession of a weapons (he was convicted in 2014 for drug possession). Valle was released the next day from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
“The bike belonged to a local resident who asked that his bike be locked up in front of the PD to have a friend come get it (Valle was not the friend),” Bell wrote in an email to Law&Crime. “The motivation was more than likely a crime of opportunity. He chose not to talk to us when we questioned him. He has a pending charge from a local, neighboring agency for about the same thing.”
Police confirm to Law&Crime that the Gladstone Municipal Court will field the case. A court clerk she didn’t have Valle’s case information as of Wednesday. It’s unclear if the defendant has an attorney at this time.
In unrelated but equally weird news, a man was arrested in 2016 for allegedly kicking his Chihuahua in the lobby of the South Pasadena Police Department.
Editor’s note: We have added information from Sgt. Bell regarding who owned the bike, and a possible motive.
[Image via Facebook screengrab]