Police arrest bounty hunters for crossing the line www.privateofficer.com

Russellville Ala. March 21 2008

The employer of two bounty hunters who were arrested after they were accused of illegally breaking into a residence and detaining the man who lives there say they did nothing wrong.

Charles Moore, owner of American Security and Bounty, of Sheffield, said his two bounty hunters did not kick in a door and illegally detain a man.

Russellville police arrested Nicholas James Topp, 22, 402 N. Montgomery Ave., Apt. T, Sheffield, and Brian Eugene Miles, 28, 146 Barton Road, Cherokee, and charged them with third-degree burglary, second-degree theft of property and second-degree unlawful imprisonment.Russellville Police Chief Chris Hargett said a report was filed March 13 informing police of the incident that took place a day earlier at a Russellville residence.Hargett said the 27-year-old man who lived at the residence reported that the two men kicked in his door without identifying themselves

.Moore denies the allegations."My guys knocked on the door and told the man at the residence who they were and what they were there for," Moore said. He said the man at the house allowed the bounty hunters to come inside the residence.The resident claimed the bounty hunters chased him once they got inside the house and handcuffed him."My guys asked for (the man's) identification and then he took off running and one of the bounty hunters caught him trying to go out the back door," Moore said. "There were syringes laying around and he tried to grab one, acting like he was going to harm my guys, so they grabbed him and handcuffed him for their own safety."Hargett said bounty hunters are "not allowed to forcibly go into a house unless they know for certain the person they're looking for is at that residence."

"It doesn't matter if (the man) runs from them or not; they have no right to handcuff anyone other than the person they're looking for."According to police, after the man was handcuffed, he was taken outside and detained by one bounty hunter while the other went back inside and searched the residence."After (the two bounty hunters) left the residence, it was discovered that some jewelry items had been taken from the residence," Hargett said.

Moore denies the resident was taken outside and handcuffed."He was inside the house the entire time, even when the house was searched," Moore said. "He was in the living room with one of the bounty hunters while another searched the residence to make sure no one was hiding in the residence."Moore also denied that anything was taken from the house. He added that Russellville police knew the bounty hunters were in town."One of the guys called the police department while they were inside the house and stayed on the phone with them the entire time they were there, which was about five minutes," Moore said.

Hargett said the bounty hunters called and wanted the dispatcher to do a check on a Social Security number, which they are not allowed to do.Moore said the bounty hunters were just trying to do their jobs."My guys did not kick the door in and no jewelry was taken. The victim is making all this up, and this is really causing them a lot of problems," Moore said.

He said his company as well as the bounty hunters are looking at the possibility of legal action against Russellville police and the resident.

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