Press Release
☷Off duty YPG gate guard helps local deputies apprehend suspect
U.S. Army ( By Press Release office)
May 05,2022
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A fleeing felony suspect with multiple prior convictions was arrested by Yuma County Sheriff’s Office ( YCSO ) Deputies on April 14 , 2022 with an assist from an off - duty U . S . Army Yuma Proving Ground ( YPG ) gate guard . Officer George Wright ( left ) , who has worked as a gate guard at YPG for one year , lent a hand when he unexpectedly happened upon the suspect attempting to evade the deputies . A fleeing felony suspect with multiple prior convictions was arrested by Yuma County Sheriff’s Office ( YCSO ) deputies on April 14 with an assist from an off - duty YPG gate guard . Officer George Wright , who has worked as a gate guard at U . S . Army Yuma Proving Ground ( YPG ) for one year , lent a hand when he unexpectedly happened upon the suspect attempting to evade the deputies . An Arkansas native and Marine infantry veteran , Wright was driving home from work when he saw a lone YCSO Deputy struggling with a suspect as another man fled on foot . Unknown to Wright was that the two men driving a 2005 Cadillac had just evaded an attempted traffic stop by YCSO , striking numerous other vehicles as they sped through heavy traffic backed up at stoplights on the Fortuna Road Interstate overpass . The multiple collisions eventually disabled their vehicle , at which point Wright happened upon the scene . Wright and another bystander joined the pursuit and followed as the fleeing suspect ran into a residential neighborhood . They briefly lost the suspect until a resident told the men she saw someone running along the side of her house toward her backyard . Wright and the other bystander combed the woman’s backyard , seeing nothing out of the ordinary , yet multiple dogs barked incessantly from nearby yards . As they walked back toward the front of the house , Wright heard noise coming from the household ' s garbage can . The other man with him quickly lifted and closed the lid , seeing the man inside . “I was just going to watch and wait for the deputies , ” said Wright . “But the guy started trying to tip the garbage can to escape . ” Wright and the other man struggled to hold the garbage can in place . “He pushed with his legs and I felt myself losing my balance , ” said Wright . When the suspect finally tipped the can over and emerged , Wright , a jujitsu enthusiast who formerly worked as a guard at the Arizona State Prison Complex in San Luis , Arizona for three years , pinned the suspect down . He held firm despite the suspect’s struggle and pleas , and moments later several YCSO Deputies arrived on the scene to make the arrest . The suspect Wright helped detain is charged with theft of a means of transportation , criminal damage , possession of a weapon by a prohibited person , and burglary . The second suspect who fled in a different direction was later apprehended by YCSO Deputies .
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