HN AUDIO/IMAGES: Retired Barnstable cop nabs 17-year-old who allegedly just pulled knife on Main Street…
HYANNIS – A retired Barnstable Police Officer happened to be driving on South Street yesterday when she observed a suspect who allegedly had just pulled a knife on someone in front of TD Bank on Main Street, according to police radio transmissions…
At about 5:00PM, patrol officers were out searching the downtown area, looking for their Dangerous Weapon suspect, a 17-year-old, who had taken off from the alleged crime scene on a bicycle.
Special Police Officer Nancy Blanchard, a retired Barnstable patrol cop and long time detective, was listening in on a police radio when she encountered and detained the juvenile near the intersection of South Street and School Street.
HN NOTE: Many retired Barnstable Police Officers are allowed to maintain their police powers in order to work paid details to supplement their pensions. Several retired Barnstable cops earned up to about $40,000 or more working details in 2016. In 2016, Officer Blanchard made about $16,900 in police details… and it appears she was on her way to working a detail when she detained yesterday’s felony suspect.
Paid police details are a controversial topic for some, especially in the case of “road jobs,” where some would prefer to see those positions opened up to private citizens who can direct traffic as “flag persons,” providing necessary jobs for others. However, supporters of paid police details use examples like yesterday’s case, that it’s a good idea to have more police people out there working these details because they often provide the community with extra eyes when on-duty officers are looking for someone…
Most paid police details are “privately funded,” at least at the job source level… but in the case of road details, it’s typically the taxpayer who ultimately foots the bill one way or another. But having said all that, it was a good thing that Officer Blanchard was in the area and alert yesterday, helping to get an allegedly dangerous suspect off the streets.
As you will hear and see in the following HN VIDEO, the juvenile was taken into custody and transported back to BPD Headquarters after the victim was driven by in an unmarked police cruiser, giving officers a “100%” positive identification of the suspect.
* All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court of law.
[PRESS PLAY]
