Police find accused Walmart shoplifter hiding in tree line
A 26-year-old Chatham man is facing charges after he allegedly stole some items from Walmart Thursday and took off running.
Police said they were called to the store Thursday morning for a shoplifting complaint. At that time, officers learned that the man had allegedly concealed some items in his coat before he fled the store on foot.
Police said they found the man hiding in a nearby tree line and then chased him down on foot, eventually taking him into custody after a struggle.
Officers said they found about $400 worth of goods on the man that had been stolen from Walmart and the Real Canadian Superstore.
The man was charged with two counts of theft, two counts of possession of property obtained by crime, and one count of resisting arrest. He was taken into custody pending a bail hearing.
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Teen accused accused of stunt driving while impaired
A 19-year-old Ridgetown man is facing multiple charges after he was allegedly caught going more than double the speed limit just outside of Chatham.
Police said an officer on general patrol saw the vehicle travelling at a high rate of speed on Fairview Line Thursday afternoon and recorded it going 181 kilometres per hour in a posted 80 km/h zone.
The man allegedly attempted to evade police but they managed to track the vehicle down after it hit a concrete culvert and got stuck on Maynard Line near Mull Road.
Police said the officer at the scene believed the man was driving under the influence of alcohol, so a field sobriety test was conducted and the man was later arrested and taken back to police headquarters for breath tests.
Those tests allegedly came back showing that his blood alcohol concentration was also more than twice the legal limit.
The accused was arrested, charged with impaired driving, stunt driving, and being a young driver with a blood alcohol concentration above zero. He was later released with a future court date.
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Two more crashes lead to impaired driving charges
A 32-year-old Chatham man and a 42-year-old Merlin man are both facing impaired driving charges after two separate crashes overnight in Chatham-Kent.
Police said the 32-year-old man was charged after police were called to a single-vehicle crash on Taylor Avenue near Forest Street in Chatham Thursday night.
Officers said their investigation showed that the driver was travelling at a high rate of speed when they lost control and went off the road, hitting a hydro pole and a Bell box. Police said the crash caused more than $30,000 damage.
Investigators were able to identify the driver and found him at a nearby apartment. Police believed that the man had been driving under the influence of alcohol, so they arrested him and took him back to police headquarters for breath tests.
He was later charged with having a blood alcohol concentration over the legal limit before he was released pending a future court date.
Chatham-Kent police were also called to a collision on Aberdeen Street in Merlin after a vehicle went off the road and hit a parked vehicle and a house.
Police said the damage from the crash in Merlin was estimated at $25,000.
Officers were able to identify the driver and found him at a nearby residence. Police believed he had been driving under the influence of alcohol, so he was arrested and taken back to police headquarters for breath tests.
A 42-year-old Merlin man was later charged with having a blood alcohol concentration over the legal limit before he was released with a future court date.
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Electronics reported stolen from unlocked Wallaceburg residence
Chatham-Kent police are appealing to the public for tips after someone entered an unlocked residence on Nelson Street in Wallaceburg and took off with a 70" television, a guitar, and a PlayStation gaming system.
Police said the theft took place sometime between Tuesday night and Thursday morning, adding that the stolen goods have an estimated combined value of $2,000.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Constable Craig Zink at craigz@chatham-kent.ca or 519-436-6600 extension #87324.
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Two men charged in connection with stolen trailer
Chatham-Kent police have arrested and charged two men after a trailer that was reported stolen from a property in Blenheim was spotted at a business on Queens Line earlier this week.
Police said the trailer was reported stolen from a property on Erieau Road in Blenheim on December 23, 2020 and officers received a tip Tuesday afternoon that it was seen at a business on Queens Line.
Officers arrested a 41-year-old Chatham man and a 39-year-old Tilbury man in connection with the case -- both of them were charged with possession of property obtained by crime and later released with a future court date.
The owner of the trailer was also notified.
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Man arrested in domestic violence investigation
A 45-year-old Chatham man has been charged with assault and uttering threats in connection with a domestic disturbance at a residence in Chatham.
Police said they responded to the residence Thursday night, adding that through their investigation, they learned that a verbal argument had escalated to a physical altercation between a man and his common-law wife.
The accused was arrested, charged, and later released with a future court date.
