WATCH ABOVE: A group of bounty hunters went to the wrong house and confronted Phoenix’s police chief. Don Dahler reports.
TORONTO – Teams of bounty hunters are dealing with a serious amount of embarrassment after an online prank caused them to attempt to capture what might be the most unlikely suspect in Phoenix – the chief of police.
“I’m looking for Roderick, open the door!” a voice yells out in a cell phone recording of Tuesday night’s incident .
Listen to 911 call made from police chief’s residence
Moments later, the home’s outdoor lights came on and the front door opened. Out stepped a Caucasian male who appeared to be only dressed in his boxer shorts while holding a baton.
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It was Joseph Yahner, the police chief of America’s sixth largest city. Whoops.
“After awakening him (Yahner) from a dead sleep, he comes out in protection mode,” Sgt. Trent Crump told media. “And when he does come out and he challenges them, I think they quickly come to realize (the mistake), with the exception of one of them.”
NorthStar Fugitive Recovery owner Brent Farley, 43, was the holdout. A “heated confrontation” ensued, soon followed by Farley’s arrest for criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct. Members of his staff and those of Delta One Tactical Recovery watched police officers take him into custody.
The bounty hunters were allegedly hunting a man named Roderick Battle, according to CBS, who is wanted on drug charges. NorthStar was acting on a tip they received via the company Facebook page. That page was unavailable for public viewing at the time of this writing and it remains unclear whether or not Farley’s team was the victim of a prank.
A police investigation into the matter is still ongoing.
Raw Video: Bounty Hunters mistakenly try to capture police chief
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