KOAM TV 7 Joplin and PittsburgSuspected thief held at gunpoint by 4-States mayor

Suspected thief held at gunpoint by 4-States mayor

The Galena, Kansas mayor holds a suspected thief at gunpoint.

We caught up with Mayor Dale Oglesby at the Galena Police Department where authorities have received reports of a string of thefts in recent weeks.

The latest came a little after midnight this morning when Mayor Oglesby was awakened at his home by barking dogs and Oglesby found a man apparently trying to steal electrical supplies.

"I think the whole area is tired of it," Oglesby says.  "We're saying 'this is enough - they need to stop'.  These guys are out blatantly stealing stuff and we're saying 'enough is enough.'  We're going to stop it."

Oglesby used his handgun to hold the suspect for several minutes until police arrived.

"I was in my comfort zone because I've been trained and I went through the Missouri Police Academy, so I've been trained to handle a situation like that, so I was very comfortable," Oglesby says.  "I just knew that this guy wasn't going to get away from us."

City attorney Kevin Cure tells us since the mayor is involved they have assigned a special prosecutor to handle the case and a judge from outside of the area will preside over the case.