Alaskan woman steals police car with husband handcuffed in back

[zenitzz]

Woman drives off while state trooper was engaged with a passing motorist on an unrelated topic

An Alaskan woman accused of stealing a police car with her husband handcuffed in the back seat faces several charges including theft and hindering prosecution, troopers said on Friday.

The woman slipped into the patrol’s car and drove off on Wednesday while a state trooper was engaged with a passing motorist on an unrelated topic, a trooper dispatch report said.

Authorities found the car not far from where it was stolen in Big Lake, a community of 3,500 people about 65 miles (104 km) northwest of Anchorage.

The following day troopers arrested Amber Watford, 28, and Joshua Watford 38, in a home about 45 miles (72 km) north of Anchorage in Wasilla, the report said.

Joshua Watford had been first arrested in Big Lake on Wednesday for failure to appear at court-ordered, alcohol-related classes from a previous driving under the influence charge, state trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters said.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/05/alaskan-woman-steals-police-car-with-husband-handcuffed-in-back

[bryant.coleman]

I am surprised that the cops managed to arrest them. Alaska is a huge territory, covering more than 170 million hectares (i.e, bigger than countries such as Iran, Peru and Angola). And the total number of policemen is around 600. That means that every single policemen has around 300,000 hectares of Arctic wilderness to patrol.

[tvbcof]

I am surprised that the cops managed to arrest them. Alaska is a huge territory, covering more than 170 million hectares (i.e, bigger than countries such as Iran, Peru and Angola). And the total number of policemen is around 600. That means that every single policemen has around 300,000 hectares of Arctic wilderness to patrol.

Did you expect them to abandon all earthly possetions and take off into the tundra to live alone like animals?  Over a drunk driving ticket?  If one or both are natives they might be able to make it to some villiage, but they would be picked up probably that night.  The area is probably more condicive to tracking people down than almost anywhere on earth because it is isolated from the rest of the world and the few paths in, out, or around are lightly traveled.

Looks to me like the woman acted without thinking much.  The fortunate thing is that probably everyone including the cops and the judge will get a bit of a chuckle out of the incident and both will probably get a slap on the wrist (along with their free oil delivery to get them through the winter.)

[pattu1]

Looks to me like the woman acted without thinking much.  The fortunate thing is that probably everyone including the cops and the judge will get a bit of a chuckle out of the incident and both will probably get a slap on the wrist (along with their free oil delivery to get them through the winter.)

The woman faces several charges, including theft and hindering prosecution. I hope they don't throw the rule book at her.
She does seem a bit dim-witted.

[bryant.coleman]

Did you expect them to abandon all earthly possetions and take off into the tundra to live alone like animals? 

I know instances where people decided to vanish in to the Alaskan tundra for reasons which were even more sillier. An example is here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_McCandless

Jokes apart, stealing a police vehicle is a serious offence, as far as I know. Amber Watford is facing some serious jail time.

[Holliday]

I'm wondering if there is any kind of protocol that was ignored by the officer.

I assume the keys were in the car (perhaps it was even running). I'm sure the car is new enough that the woman wouldn't have been able to steal it otherwise.

In a normal situation, I can think of a few reasons why a cop would leave the keys in his car, but I would imagine they all go out the window when you have someone cuffed in the back.

[tvbcof]

Did you expect them to abandon all earthly possetions and take off into the tundra to live alone like animals? 

I know instances where people decided to vanish in to the Alaskan tundra for reasons which were even more sillier. An example is here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_McCandless

Jokes apart, stealing a police vehicle is a serious offence, as far as I know. Amber Watford is facing some serious jail time.

We'll see (if anyone gives enough of a shit to follow up.)  I was born up there and have spent considerable time in the state.  It's a different world and law enforcement adapts or leaves the AO.  Things which are considered quite erratic down here are not necessarily out of place up there.  Also, a fair amount of deference is given to cultural differences when native populations are involved...up to and including 86-ing one another and all manner of sex crimes which, out of necessity, often involve a close relative.  I don't know if that is the case here...if they were around Anchorage they could be simple white trailer-trash for all I know...or Samoans oddly enough.

[tvbcof]

Just and update:

...
After the tip came in Thursday, the Watfords were arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft and other charges, including hindering prosecution and criminal mischief.

Joshua Watford remained jailed Friday morning. Amber Watford's bail was set at $20,000, and she was no longer in custody.

As I expected, it didn't take long to track the perps down, and also as I suspected, the mis-deed of the woman do not seem to be being taken with the utmost seriousness.

[tvbcof]

I know instances where people decided to vanish in to the Alaskan tundra for reasons which were even more sillier. An example is here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_McCandless

I just read the wikipedia entry.  I forgot that this happened that long ago...time flys.  I always considered the guy to be just another semi-retard dreamer.  The wikipedia did nothing to change my opinion.

Reminds me of another similar incident.  My dad was a bush pilot and was flying out of Kodiak one year.  Some dude showed up and wanted to go over to the Aleutian peninsula and raft down to Bristol Bay.  Dad said that the weather was bad and the guy just sat by the plane the whole day staring into space.  When the weather cleared up enough Dad took him over there and dropped him off.  Nobody ever heard from him again.  For years his family spent summers up there looking for him.  I think he was some sort of a scientist and his family was quite wealthy.

One of the things I think is kind of great about America is that we have the freedom to do silly things like get lost and die in Alaska if we, for whatever reason, wish to do so.  Hopefully the control freak culture won't overturn such freedoms.

[bryant.coleman]

I just read the wikipedia entry.  I forgot that this happened that long ago...time flys.  I always considered the guy to be just another semi-retard dreamer.  The wikipedia did nothing to change my opinion.

A few years ago, one of my friends recommended the movie Into the Wild (directed by Sean Penn, starring Emile Hirsch). That was the first time I heard about this guy. Feels bad about him. For sure, he was a retarded dreamer. But he didn't deserved to die at the age of 24, and that too all alone in the Alaskan wilderness.

[pattu1]

Just and update:

...
After the tip came in Thursday, the Watfords were arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft and other charges, including hindering prosecution and criminal mischief.

Joshua Watford remained jailed Friday morning. Amber Watford's bail was set at $20,000, and she was no longer in custody.

As I expected, it didn't take long to track the perps down, and also as I suspected, the mis-deed of the woman do not seem to be being taken with the utmost seriousness.

She made $20,000 bail? The article just has that one line on their current status.
She probably would be lying in jail if she didn't have that money. Plus we will have to wait for the trial to be over and actual conviction / sentencing to occur to see if she still gets only a slap on her wrists.

[countryfree]

You shall not steal a police car! What a dummy! In some places, they have trackers (the satellite thing) so the police chief knows at all times where the forces are. They probably do in Alaska.

[apollofire]

I agree. Its too risky to steal Police car as they can easily trace the car bez of GPS. But She might have disabled GPS as well. She seems to be quite brave Thanks

[bryant.coleman]

She seems to be quite brave

If someone is going to steal a police vehicle, then I am going to call that particular person "stupid", and not "brave". Anyway, it seems that in this particular case, she will be let off with a small fine, rather than a serious jail term. Alaska can seem quite odd to the outsiders, as evident from the posts made by tvbcof earlier.

[Chef Ramsay]

I am surprised that the cops managed to arrest them. Alaska is a huge territory, covering more than 170 million hectares (i.e, bigger than countries such as Iran, Peru and Angola). And the total number of policemen is around 600. That means that every single policemen has around 300,000 hectares of Arctic wilderness to patrol.

You make good points but that state has so much unused or uninhabited territory that spacing out the responsibility for police that much is not realistic and you know it. Hence, the small usable land and the available police to deal with it is quite appropriate at this point. However, some bad people want to get lost up there and then that reeks havoc on the current populations of small towns there.

[PaoloSerBit]

I admire that woman for her courage. To steal a police car, and not get caught right away is really something. A shame there is no any real possibility of escape after something like that(we see from the article they know who she is)

[tvbcof]

I am surprised that the cops managed to arrest them. Alaska is a huge territory, covering more than 170 million hectares (i.e, bigger than countries such as Iran, Peru and Angola). And the total number of policemen is around 600. That means that every single policemen has around 300,000 hectares of Arctic wilderness to patrol.

You make good points but that state has so much unused or uninhabited territory that spacing out the responsibility for police that much is not realistic and you know it. Hence, the small usable land and the available police to deal with it is quite appropriate at this point. However, some bad people want to get lost up there and then that reeks havoc on the current populations of small towns there.

Continuing on with my proposed quasi-expertise...I have not heard of such a thing and I find it quite unlikely.  One thing that people in small villages are pretty much universally good at is hunting and tracking since doing so on a subsistence level is a part of life.  They also tend to be intimately familiar with a vast expanse of land around their village.  They are also one of the most heavily armed populations which probably exists anywhere.  It seems entirely unlikely that an 'outsider' would have much of a chance to cause much havoc for very long.

There are plenty of 'bad apples' born into a community who do cause periods of petty terror.  Such problems have a way of sorting themselves and the perp can consider himself damn lucky if formal law enforcement is a part of the solution.

Probably the biggest 'outsider' problem that most of these populations have are doctors who have lost their ability to practice in the lower 48 through one flaw or another.  As an infant I once had a fever which was pushing into the potential danger zone.  My mom called the doctor and he said 'I don't want to hear about sick babies' and hung up on her.

[iv4n]

That is love!