Bounty hunters mistakenly try to raid police chief's house
Posted: Aug 6, 2015 6:40 PM CST
(CNN)The last place you'd think bounty hunters would go looking for a fugitive is a police chief's house.
And yet, it happened to Phoenix's top cop on Tuesday night.
Chief Joe Yahner was at home when at least one man began pounding on his door about 10 p.m. looking for a fugitive from Oklahoma.
\"This bondsman was armed, weapon unholstered, and in a verbal confrontation with the chief, demanding he come out of his residence,\" police said in a written statement Wednesday.
A cell phone video taken from the street shows men in dark clothes running around the house and someone shining a bright flashlight at the front door. A pickup is parked askew in the driveway.
Another man, apparently the chief, yells for someone to turn the light off several times.
Eleven members of two bond recovery companies were at the chief's home and some of them had drawn their handguns, police said.
\"It appears the recovery teams were using unconfirmed information received via social media,\" police said. \"The wanted fugitive was a black male, 6'3\", 310 pounds, wanted out of Oklahoma on drug charges and in no way matched a description of the occupants at the home.\"
The owner of one of the companies was arrested by Phoenix police officers. He is accused of criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct.
CNN was attempting to reach the bail bonds' companies on Wednesday but wasn't immediately successful.
CNN's Cheri Mossburg contributed to this report.
