Deputies ‘Forced’ to Let Truck Farm Thieves Get Away in Grant County
Yet another example of what soft on crime legislators are doing to citizens.
This information was shared August 27th by the Grant County Sheriff's Office, but occurred on August 21st.
The GCSO shared it because it's the latest example of how new laws, including House Bill 1054, prevented them from pursuing known theft suspects, even watching them drive away.
According to the story shared by Robin Law Prchal of Grant County (the specific town was not mentioned) several thieves entered her family farm and stole 2 farm trucks. They had previously stolen a neighbor's side by side, which she said was going to be used to "quietly" enter their property, but her family was waiting for them.
They notified the Sheriff and neighbors, and the pursuit was on. However, due to the new laws, the Deputies could not pursue without what's called "probable cause" meaning law enforcement has to 'know' the perps have or are directly engaged in activity endangering someone else, or has proof the person performed said crime.
Prchal said the thieves event went as far as to "flip off" the Deputies as they were escaping, apparently knowing they couldn't be chased?
In one of the images displayed she said the thieves drove off in one of their trucks, went through a fence off a frontage road, and tore through a fence. They ended up on the highway dragging posts and wire behind them.
Fortunately their trucks were recovered as was the neighbor's side by side.
Grant County Sheriff's officials said citizens need to be reaching out to their area legislators and in Olympia and share this and other stories, and the need for immediate action to reform and modify the new laws, which have seen certain crime rates escalate statewide by anywhere from 40 to 50 percent.