Gun belt stolen from car while officer played basketball
By TANYA EISERER
The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Tex. — A Dallas police officer told other officers late Sunday that he’d chased a man and lost his gun belt.
But it turns out that Officer Archie Beason hadn’t been in a foot chase and that his gun belt was stolen when he left it in his squad car while he played basketball, authorities said. Officer Beason was on duty at the time.
“He did admit to it,” said Lt. Vernon Hale, a Dallas police spokesman. “He’s been placed on restricted duty pending an investigation.”
The incident began late Sunday in the 5000 block of Colonial Avenue, records show.
According to police, Officer Beason called dispatch and reported that he was in a foot chase and that his gun belt had come off and been taken. When others officers arrived, they could not find Officer Beason’s gun belt or the person he had said he was chasing.
Among the items on his gun belt was his 9 mm gun, an expandable baton, handcuffs, 46 bullets, three pistol magazines and mace.
Witnesses tipped off authorities that Officer Beason had not been in a chase and that he had been playing basketball. He had left the gun belt on the front seat of his squad car, records show.
The gun belt was recovered Monday after police received an anonymous call telling them where it could be found.
“I’m told that we did get everything back,” Lt. Hale said.
Officer Beason was hired in 2001. He could not be reached for comment Monday.
Copyright 2007 Dallas Morning News