Free the Free Press? Feds chase newspaper thief: Your tax dollars at work

The  Federal Fugitive Task Force of the U.S. Marshal Service, and law enforcement authorities from six jurisdictions in the Birmingham-Hoover metropolitan area of Jefferson county recently cooperated in the aerial-ground chase and arrest of a 44-year old Montevallo man, Chris Ballard.

It seems Mr. Ballard is accused of stealing over 100 newspaper boxes this month.

Marty Keely, U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Alabama said LEOs captured him outside Centreville in Bibb County, after a “brief chase” through six jurisdictions, which also involved a police helicopter.

COMMENTARY: Don’t you guys have anything better to do? Is this type of excessive use of force justified or warranted? Come on! This guy stole less than $200 dollars worth of daily rags, and the boxes – which probably are worth less than $50 each – and you expend perhaps tens of thousands of dollars to nab a petty thief? Why not instead just pull him over on a traffic charge or get him at his home or work on a stake-out? This is NOT the change we hoping for.