Lynsi's Local Beat: High-speed chase, small-town suspense
By Lynsi Musselman
On a not so regular Tuesday, a brazen man leads local and neighboring authorities on a major car chase through two counties, before ending with a manhunt on foot in the cactus filled terrain of south Albany. What felt like a scene from Tombstone, with a tear drop tattoo character added, ended with all citizens sleeping safe and sound in their beds once night fell.
With such an event affecting an entire small town, schools went on lockdown and residents were urged to stay put with their doors locked. Albany Junior/Senior High School Principal Ezra Chambers said, “with the uncertainty of the whereabouts of the suspect, it was absolutely in our students and staff’s best interest for us to keep everyone safe on campus.” Chambers added, “we were very thankful for the communication from law enforcement that allowed us to make the best decisions for our students and staff. High school senior Laithe Leech, who was in class during the lockdown, explained that the situation was stressful at first until the students figured out it was off campus.
However, some unknowingly and knowingly went about their business as usual. Locals were getting their mail at the post office while emergency vehicles were blocking off streets to deter the delinquent from coming further back into town. Construction and landscaping businesses carried on their work with determination. Concerned ranchers, parents, and vigilantes were also ready to help law enforcement keep an eye out for the armed suspect.
Rancher JW Askew was driving west of the RV Park about the time the manhunt was underway when he spotted someone suspicious. “I saw a guy with a gun walking through the pasture. When I turned on the country road, he crossed right in front of me. I thought to myself that I didn’t know what was going on, but I should get out of here,” said Askew.
Albany High School Baseball Coach David Fairchild lives in the path of where the assailant was running. He happened to be home on his break when he heard a knock on his door. “I heard my door knocking and went outside a few minutes later and saw no one, but then multiple police showed up and that is when I found out there was someone on the loose and more than likely it was the guy running who had been there,” said Fairchild.
According to Albany City Chief of Police Mike House, the assailant was continually being pushed further away from town to try and keep residents, businesses, and the school safe.
Mayor Susan Montgomery commented that a few people said they had no idea anything was going on. “The city currently does not send out a mass call-out for situations like this. It is impossible to keep up with the rapid changing threat, and we want to avoid any extra interference with the police.” Montgomery said. She also noted that a lot of citizens mentioned that they were notified by word of mouth and knew the school was on alert, so they checked on their neighbors.
For all those true crime junkies, this was more than likely a one-off incident. Nevertheless, it made for an exciting day Albany will be talking about for a long time. Plus, we all can rest easy knowing we are well taken care of by our law enforcement.
