Officials: Deputies use force to get into vehicle suspected in retail theft

WASHINGTON COUNTY -- The Washington County Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook on Wednesday, April 26th that for the second time in less than a week deputies had to address subjects that were lawfully stopped on traffic stops and refused to exit their vehicles.

On Tuesday evening at about 8:00 p.m., a vehicle that was involved in a retail theft was stopped on US 45 near Pleasant Valley Rd. Numerous stolen items were in plain view inside the vehicle. The driver and passenger locked the doors and refused to exit. Officials say deputies took several precautions to keep the vehicle from fleeing and demanded the subjects exit. After repeated requests for compliance, the deputies forced entry to the passenger side rear window.

The driver, a 20-year-old Chicago man, and the passenger, a 20-year-old Chicago woman, were taken into custody on the local theft charges. The woman also had an extraditable arrest warrant out of IL for armed larceny.