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Police Incident Reports
Incidents listed are selected by the Officer In Charge of each shift that may have significant public interest. Incidents listed are not inclusive of all incidents. Requests for information can be directed to the MPD Records Unit: (608) 266-4075.
Incident Report for Case #2011-350911
Incident Type
Retail TheftIncident Date
12/13/2011 - 5:32 PMAddress
201 Junction Rd. (Target)Arrested
Jason S. Hamielec, age 29, MadisonMr. Hamielec was cited and released for Retail Theft.
Brian A. Johnson, age 28, Madison
Mr. Johnson was cited and released for Retail Theft.
Details
A couple of retail theft suspects couldn’t stop talking about their thievery after lifting a bunch of DVDs and computer games from the West Side Target store late Tuesday afternoon. Yep, they were chatting away inside their getaway SUV, talking about where they might get the best prices for stolen merchandise. Following more banter, they locked in on the Video X-Change, 3002 Atwood Ave. The caper was all going well, at least so they thought, until they pulled into a nearby parking lot (one close to the Video X-Change) and noticed a couple of MPD squad cars. The next thing they knew there were officers, several of them, a couple with their guns out. “Police, Show your hands!” were the words they heard. As one suspect got out of the SUV, he asked an officer: You guys tap my phone?” Both men were dumbfounded by how police knew exactly where they would be. The officer receiving the question perhaps didn’t have the heart to tell him how the bust went down, but it did not involve some sort of covert police operation. It was much simpler. You see, when the two men got into the SUV, following the retail theft, one of them “pocket dialed.” Not just any number, but 911. So as they yakked, jawed, and chortled about all they had done, a dispatcher was listening in - via an open cell phone line - and providing officers with a play-by-play. “They bragged about what they stole, described the vehicle they were in, and where they were going,” said one of the arresting officers. The men even dialoged about how police would be looking for a blue Dodge Durango without license plates, so they decided to put the plates back on.As officers inventoried the stolen items and the men’s’ property, one looked at the smoking gun, which in this case was the aforementioned cell phone. It was still on. Dispatch was still listening in. The officer pressed “end call.” Duration: 54 minutes. Said one officer, the suspects gave us “EVERYYHING we needed.”
Released 12/14/2011 at 2:08 PM by PIO Joel DeSpain
The location shown is approximate & may not be accurate.