By Dave Gragg
Dodge city Daily Globe, KS - 6/3/00
A Dodge City police car was stolen and
wrecked after a routine bar check early
Friday morning.
Although the patrol car has been
checked for evidence, Lt. John Ball of
the DCPD said they do not yet have any
suspects in the theft. Whoever stole the car
left after driving it under a semi-trailer.
The impact ruptured the fuel tank for
the trailer cooling unit. Other damage
on the trailer has not been determined,
but the patrol car is a total loss, Ball
said.
Three police officers were checking in
on Neon Nights on E. Wyatt Earp Boulevard
around midnight. Two of the officers went
to the front door.
A third officer parked his car in the back
and came in through the rear door.
"He was in the bar for a little bit, doing
his usual bar check with the other two officers,
came out and his vehicle was gone," Ball said.
Although the officer left the car's keys in the
vehicle, Ball said standard procedure for the
department is to lock any unattended vehicle.
"According to the officer, it was a secure vehicle," Ball said.
The driver's window was broken out of the patrol car.
After the person or people stole the car, they
apparently drove it behind Nendels Inn, where it
ran into the trailer of a tractor trailer.
The Dodge City Fire Department was called in
about 12:45 a.m. to assist with cleaning up
the diesel fuel.
"The case is being investigated, and also the
situation of how the car was taken is being
investigated," Bail said.
"There were a lot people at the bar... and
somebody -- more than one somebody -- knows what
happened, and they need to come forward." he said.
"CrimeStoppers is great, they'll earn money for it."
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