Full Notification

,As of 1:00 AM this morning we are happy to report that Edward Earl Copeland III, 5’8", 145 lbs. has been captured! "Thanks to all of you that called in with tips to Crime-stoppers, police were able to locate Copeland in a house located at 210 West Water Street in Milford." stated Chief Kevin Coffey. "A little after midnight the Milford Police requested our Department's assistance and Officer Amos and his K9 partner Silver responded to the location. Officers made entry into the house and with the help of Maypearls newest officer, Silver, the fugitive was located and taken into custody without incident. He told officers on scene that he was going to run til he "saw that dog!". He then complied with Officers commands and laid on the ground and was taken into custody." Coffey stated "This was a great job by Officer Amos, Silver, Milford Police Officer Beckam along with the Italy Police and the Ellis County Sheriffs Office. It showed great Teamwork all around!" Chief Coffey stated this is a perfect example of teamwork between not only the police agencies but by the community as well. "We were very proactive with this situation, putting the information out there on both the Nixle alert system as well as social media as soon as we received it. The response from the community was amazing, with numerous phone tips coming in throughout the evening. This is a perfect example of not only the cooperation between neighboring agencies, but the importance and help that Nixle and social media is to the Department as well as the use of our K9 team. I'm extremely happy how it all came together and showed the partnership between the citizens of our community and its Officers." Coffey stated that he had already received a call from Milford Police Chief Carlos Phoenix thanking him for their assistance and stating how valuable a role Maypearl's K9 team played in helping apprehend this escaped fugitive without endangering the officers or the public. Chief Coffey stated "I'm really proud of how this worked out, and it shows that having a close relationship with the community, keeping them informed through the use of Facebook and other outlets, and asking for their help truly shows that Maypearls citizens and its Police Department really work as one team. Also the cooperation and close relationship between agencies such as Maypearl, Milford and the Sheriffs Office are extremely important and valuable not just tonight, but on a daily basis. I especially want to commend Officer Amos and K9 Silver for the role they played in this incident. The decision to add a K9 unit to our Department has definitely paid off in just the first 2 weeks that they have been on the street, and I'm very proud of these officers".
Copeland will be turned over to the US Marshals for transport back to Tennessee, where he had been arrested for Burglary of a Habitation at the time he escaped. The stolen vehicle he used was recovered on I-35 at the 381 mile marker earlier this afternoon and impounded. 2 other suspects were also arrested at the house. They were Beatrice Estrada of Hillsboro and Tyson Groves of Itasca, in connection with assisting in Copelands escape and evasion of law enforcement. Thank you to everyone in the community that helped, you took a dangerous fugitive off the street and we couldn't have done it without the help of the great citizens of our community. Well done folks, thank you!

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