In a saga seemingly out of a bad Judd Apatow movie, a bounty hunter named Brent Farley was recently arrested in Phoenix after attempting to apprehend what he thought was a fugitive on the run from Oklahoma. Funny thing is, the tip the bounty hunter was acting on — which originated on Facebook — actually directed him to the home of Joseph Yahner, Phoenix’s chief of police.
And oh yeah, did we mention that Yahner answered the door in his underwear while wielding a baton?
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What’s more, Farley wasn’t going in alone. Before heading off to Yahner’s residence he assembled a team of about 10 other people to help him make what he thought was a legitimate capture.
Even better? There’s video of this whole ordeal.
Unfortunately, the video provided to the public cuts off just as Yahner makes his bold entrance outside. Which is a shame, because reports have indicated that what followed next was a “heated confrontation.”
[Police spokesman Trent] Crump said eight of the individuals were men and the three others were women, including a relative of one of the men who was riding along and an 11-year-old girl who was wearing a toy gun belt.
The bondsmen were working on behalf of two bond recovery companies, NorthStar Fugitive Recovery and Delta One Tactical Recovery, police said, and appeared to have acted on an unconfirmed tip on the suspect’s location from social media.
If you can’t trust an anonymous tipster on Facebook, who can you trust?
As for the charges being levied against Farley, he’s being charged with disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing. Notably, Farley and his posse refused to leave the premises after being asked to do so numerous times.
Speaking to NBC News on the matter, Crump added: “[Yahner] was sleeping so he was concerned at first. But a 30-year law enforcement veteran in the 6th largest city in America can handle himself.”
Apparently so.
