Veteran Operator Lora helped nab a belligerent (and armed) burglar on Saturday morning after receiving a glass break alarm at King Feed Inc. in Eatonville, Wash. Through the store’s audio verification panel, she heard the sound of breaking glass and heavy footsteps. Lora dispatched the Pierce County Sheriff. In a nice show of teamwork, Bricia, another Verification Center Operator, helped out by alerting the site contact while Lora stayed on the phone with the police. The suspect could be heard mumbling as he entered the warehouse showroom. At that point, the suspect saw evidence of a surveillance camera and shouted out loud that he didn’t care if he was on camera. When police arrived, the suspect took off. He was apprehended in a nearby field after a foot chase. Officers found stolen needles and syringes on him, along with fleece that he said was for his girlfriend’s dog. The suspect was carrying a loaded 9mm gun, but thankfully none of the officers were injured during the pursuit.  Security footage actually shows the man walking around and waving the gun in the air.

The audio of the incident made it seem as though two people might have been involved. After questioning the suspect, officers learned that the man was on his cell phone during the burglary.

We are so glad that our security system detected this intrusion and that the Pierce County Sheriff’s officers responded so quickly. Two employees of the store were scheduled to open for the day only 30 minutes after the suspect was apprehended. Had he remained in the building, this story could have ended very differently.

Listen to the audio and hear it for yourself!