Skunk Sprays Alleged Church Burglar Moments Before Sheriff Places Man Under Arrest
A burglar in Washington state had a night that absolutely stunk last week. According to the Spokane County Sheriff’s office, two Spokane County Deputies were alerted of a burglary that was in progress on August 4th at about 3:10 in the morning.
The location being burglarized was Church of the Nazarene in Deer Park, FOX News reported.
The deputies were informed that a caller could see a man walking around inside the building on the church’s live surveillance feed. The man was wearing a mask that covered his entire face, he had a flashlight, and was checking out the church’s audio equipment.
The deputies were waiting on the arrival of a police dog unit before going into the building. As they waited, one of the deputies saw the burglar in the church begin climbing out of an open window.
The deputies demanded that the burglar get his hands out in the open and get down on the ground. The burglar was responding to the commands of the deputies when a skunk zipped around the corner and cut loose with its, “well-known and malodorous spray before fleeing the area,” the Sheriff’s Facebook page said.
The burglar was taken into custody by the deputies and was later identified as 28-year-old Grant M. Simonson.
It is not indicated as to whether or not the deputies actually put him in the back of their cruiser, or decided to call in a request for an F-150 police responder truck without a cap and just loaded Simonson in the back.
When questioned for a motive, Simonson’s response was that he was “wide awake and bored.” He was riding his bicycle on the street where the church was located prior to the incident and saw an open window.
He rode his bike home, walked back to the church, removed the screen from the window and went inside the church because he was “curious.”
Simonson was booked at the police station for Burglary 2nd Degree, and then released later that day on his own recognizance after appearing before Superior Court Commissioner J. Stine. It’s not indicated as to whether or not Simonson might have gotten a speedier trial than normal given the circumstances.
“The skunk is a wild animal and not affiliated with law enforcement or the church,” the Sheriff’s Office stated.
It’s not indicated as to whether or not the Sheriff’s Office may cite this particular incident as a reason to request the addition of police skunks to the police force for a more efficient means of addressing crimes in progress.
UPDATE, AUGUST 12, 2022: The headline on this article has been updated from “Skunk Sprays Alleged Church Burglar Moments Before Sheriff Places Him Under Arrest” to “Skunk Sprays Alleged Church Burglar Moments Before Sheriff Places Man Under Arrest.”
