THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 3, 1994 TAG: 9412030292
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBERT LITTLE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines
Attention Suffolk criminals: It looks like the cops aren't your only opposition.
For the second day in a row Friday, civilians lent a hand to the long arm of the law by helping city police nab a suspect.
This time, the culprit was an alleged purse-snatcher, who is charged with robbing a 65-year-old woman on a downtown street just before 1 p.m.
The woman, Joyce R. Ellis of Turlington Road, ran into a nearby restaurant as soon as the suspect stole her purse, which contained her credit cards, checks and a small amount of cash.
She couldn't have selected a better place to run for help.
Working the counter at Law Dogs on Constance Road was former Suffolk police officer Alan Hines, who opened the restaurant two weeks ago, after leaving the force earlier this year. Eating lunch was Sandy Chapman, a retired Suffolk police captain.
Appearing frantic, the woman announced she had just been robbed by a man wearing a Redskins jacket.
Hines took off out the door on foot.
Chapman followed in his car.
Hines spotted someone with a red and gold jacket and saw him toss a large wallet aside. A chase began.
After about five blocks, Hines tackled the suspect, a 15-year-old Suffolk youth about 5 feet, 11 inches tall and 240 pounds. Chapman showed up and called police on his car phone. Both men held the teenager until police arrived.
``He just said, `I didn't do nothing,' but he knew we had him,'' said Hines, back behind the counter of his one-room eatery Friday evening. ``I don't miss it,'' he said of his former vocation, ``but I have to say, it felt good.''
On Thursday, police regained custody of a suspected drug dealer with the help of Suffolk resident Art Moore, who spotted the man near his home and held him with a shotgun while a friend flagged down authorities.
Police in North Carolina said the suspect had escaped from them, stolen a pickup and led a chase into Virginia before fleeing into woods in southern Suffolk.
``It looks like we have an awful lot of people on our side these days,'' said Suffolk police spokesman Mike Simpkins. ``It sure makes our job a lot easier when the citizens are catching the criminals.'' ILLUSTRATION: Sandy Chapman
Alan Hines
by CNB