Suspect roaming closed businesses in Greendale arrested after 7-hour manhunt



GREENDALE (WITI) -- They are used to serving the community, but the Greendale Village President and Village Trustee went above and beyond as they helped police take down a burglary suspect.

"We were in the right spot at the right time or the wrong spot at the right time," said Greendale Village President, John Hermes.

When FOX6 News caught up with Hermes, his adrenaline was still pumping.

"It came so suddenly, you didn't have a response time you just took action," said Hermes.

Hermes and Village Trustee, Jim Birmingham, helped take down a burglary suspect.

The incident began at  approximately 4 a.m. Saturday morning, February 21st, when officers were checking the closed businesses in the village center. They located a suspect standing behind one of them and confronted him -- the suspect then ran into one of the stores.

Police say officers noticed footprints going into the building but none coming out. For hours, Officers and K9's searched the maze of stores hoping to locate the suspect. They didn't allow these stores to open, but just across the street it was business as usual.

"We have a lot of people coming into our coffee shop asking and speculating asking the same questions," said Birmingham.

Little did Birmingham know, a short while later, he would be the one helping catch the suspect.

For more than 7 hours, officers with rifles drawn searched the stores which are interconnected.

Then suddenly, the Greendale K9 unit tracked the suspect in one of the stores. He had nowhere else to go so eventually he ran through the front door across the street where Hermes and Birmingham quickly reacted.

"He came right at me and I just gave him a butt into the snowbank and I tackled him and police were right behind him and grabbed him," said Birmingham.

After the tackle, police pounced on the man and he was arrested. But it all wouldn't have happened without the officer's persistence and patience.



While searching for the suspect, officers found evidence of burglaries to several of the businesses. His name and official charges have not yet been released.



Monitor FOX6 News and FOX6Now.com for updates on this developing story.