Good Samaritans Help Bethany Officer Struggling With Thief

Charges were filed Wednesday against an alleged jewelry thief, who is also accused of fighting a Bethany police officer.

Two Good Samaritans saw the struggle and stopped to help.

About 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 7, a resident in a Bethany neighborhood walked out of the shower to find a man standing in her house, according to the affidavit.

He'd apparently been rummaging through her jewelry and after they locked eyes, he ran off.

Police caught up with him around the corner and the officer reported seeing "a gold watch hanging out of the subject’s hand."

The man was later identified as 20-year-old Timothy Tanner, according to court documents.

Bernard Sandman and Miccogee Pohleman were driving by.

“The situation went south really fast,” Sandman said.

He said all of a sudden, they saw the suspect start swinging at the officer.

“He was just walking him over to the vehicle like he was going to question him and then as he got over to the vehicle, that’s when the guy just started spinning, fighting and wrestling with him,” Sandman told News 9.

The affidavit said at least one of Tanner's punches landed on the officer's face. That was when Sandman and Pohleman got involved. Sandman jumped on the suspect's back.

“Just put him in a chokehold and put him to the ground basically,” he explained.

Once Tanner was taken into custody, officers found jewelry in his pockets and the victim confirmed it was belonged to her, according to the affidavit.

The Good Samaritans said the officer was grateful for their help.

“I would want to think that if I were in need or something and he wasn’t in uniform that he would stop and help me as well,” Sandman said.

The court documents said Tanner confessed to the burglary and now faces multiple charges including burglary and assault on a police officer.