Washington state crime spree suspect gets stuck on telephone wire while running from police

The suspect was dangling from a 20-foot cable before he dropped down on to a Washington state fire truck.

A thief in Washington state led police on an extensive chase before getting stuck high above the ground on a telephone wire, according to the Vancouver Police Department.

On Saturday, Vancouver police responded to a report of a suspect breaking into a vehicle and stealing items. The suspect then entered a nearby yard and allegedly stole a bike. A neighbor witnessed the bike theft and chased the suspect, later identified as Romando E. Stanley, who subsequently abandoned the bike and fled on foot.

While officers were responding to these incidents, another report came in that a man matching Stanley’s description had entered a business, stolen an employee’s cell phone, and assaulted the employee before fleeing.

As police continued their investigation, they received reports that the same man, identified as Stanley, was on a roof throwing bricks onto the sidewalk, causing property damage to several buildings.

Crisis negotiators attempted to persuade Stanley to come down from the roof, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Stanley then tried to traverse the street using telephone wires and clung to the lines for approximately 45 minutes.

Negotiators persisted in their efforts to safely coax Stanley down. To prevent him from falling onto the street, a Vancouver Fire engine was positioned underneath him. Ultimately, Stanley lost his grip on the wires and fell onto the fire engine, where he was apprehended by police.

After receiving medical evaluation at the hospital, Stanley was booked into Clark County Jail on charges including Robbery II, Theft II, Theft III, and Malicious Mischief.