Bondsmen storm Phoenix police chief’s home in search of fugitive
PHOENIX » Nearly a dozen bondsmen looking for a fugitive in Phoenix ended up at the home of the city’s top cop, police said Wednesday.
A bond-recovery company mistakenly targeted Phoenix Police Chief Joe Yahner’s house. The company’s owner, Brent Farley, 43, is now facing one count each of disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing.
Police officers responded to Yahner’s home around 10 p.m. Tuesday and found the residence surrounded by 11 armed employees of two bond-recovery companies, according to investigators. Several vehicles were parked on the property with their lights on. At least one armed bondsman allegedly banged on Yahner’s door and got into a verbal confrontation with the chief, demanding Yahner come out, investigators said.
The bondsmen believed a fugitive wanted in Oklahoma on drug charges was in the house, police spokesman Trent Crump said. Preliminary evidence indicates the two companies were acting on an unconfirmed tip received through social media, Crump said.
The fugitive’s description — a black male who is 6-foot-3 — "in no way" matched anyone in Yahner’s home, according to police. The bondsmen were told several times the fugitive they were looking for wasn’t there and to leave.
Police plan to serve a search warrant to recover all the weapons used in the incident.
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It was not known Wednesday if Farley had an attorney or if any more arrests were expected.