Cops’ Kind Act Turns Into A Beer Purchase And Arrest

The kindness exhibited by two local cops ended with the arrest of a Trion man Monday afternoon, according to Summerville Police records.

Their act of kindness began with a 911 call from an elderly Seventh Street resident. The elderly female told dispatchers that a man knocked over her garbage can and pulled a sign out of her yard.

Officer Jo Stricklin found 35-year-old Jeremy W. Bruce walking on Virginia Drive. Immediately seeing the cop, Bruce walked up to Stricklin’s patrol car and opened the door. Bruce shouted profanities and with a frantic voice said, “I didn’t do nothing. It’s all her fault,” according to an incident report.

Officer Stricklin told Bruce to get out of the patrol car so that they could talk. Initially, the officer thought Bruce was on drugs. However, Bruce claimed he had suffered a brain injury when he was younger and was out of his medicine.

He told cops that he had just left his girlfriend’s house and wanted to go home, but did not know where he was.

“He also stated that he needed to go to the store to get cigarettes but did not have any money. We gave him $3 and Lt. Tim Fulmer gave him a courtesy ride to George’s Quick,” Officer Stricklin reported.

Trouble started about 30 minutes after the cops let Bruce out at the store. A clerk called 911 saying a man was acting irate inside the store.

“Nassim Samnani advised that Mr. Bruce came in the store with $3 we had given him wanting to purchase beer. She stated that he did not have enough to purchase the beer he wanted, so she advised him to get the .99 cents beers. The total came up to $3.14 and she advised that she would give him the change. Mr. Bruce left the store but came back in a short time later to purchase a Coke. When asked to pay for the Coke, Mr. Bruce became very irate stating that he did not have any money because Ms. Samnani had stolen it from him,” Officer Stricklin reported.

Bruce left before cops arrived, but they found him at the rental storage units on Favor Street. Upon talking with him about the situation, Officer Stricklin said Bruce “squared his body” toward Police Detective Ty Hutchins in an offensive manner.

Bruce was then arrested for disorderly conduct, according to reports.