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UPDATE: Stolen Police Car Recovered; Suspect Arrested

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Posted: 8:40 AM Jun 10, 2008
Last Updated: 1:14 PM Jun 10, 2008
Reporter: WSAZ News Staff
Email Address: news@wsaz.com

33 comments

A | A | A

ASHLAND, Ky. (WSAZ) -- A stolen police car has been recovered, and the man who police say took it is in jail.

Ashland Police say 23-year-old Joshua Barber was arrested in Sumner County, Tennessee, early Tuesday morning.

Police say Barber who is from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, took the unmarked Ashland Police car from a city garage over the weekend. They say Barber was a walkaway from a halfway house in Ashland at the time. Police also believe Barber stole an empty rifle from the garage.

Officials say Barber was on a work release detail at the city garage at the time of the thefts.

ORIGINAL STORY
ASHLAND, Ky. (WSAZ) -- Police in Ashland are searching for one of their police cars.

A department spokesperson says the car was stolen late Saturday night or early Sunday morning from a city garage.

They say the suspect is a Joshua Barber. They say Barber is a walkway from a halfway house, and is in a work release program in Ashland. They were able to identify Barber due to surveillance cameras in the garage area.

The car is a white, Ford Crown Victoria. The car had no police markings on it, but it did have an official Kentucky license plate. The car was no longer being used on on a daily basis.

Ashland Police also say a weapon was stolen from garage area.

Anyone with information can call the Ashland Police Department or 911.

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: WZUP? on Jun 11, 2008 at 11:09 AM
Give it to'm Doc Slim!!!!!!!! WOOOooo!WHOOOooo!!! HA!HA! HA!

Posted by: Isaac on Jun 11, 2008 at 06:04 AM
What ever a Doc slim is on this comment page in case it happenes to be a person or part of the human race most of us would like to have police cars so the men in blue (no matter how dumb they are) can go out and protect the elderly and others who can not protect themselves against people like you who would like to have free rain to enter into crime ,drama and deception !! So "yo" we don't want all the police cars getting "took"!!??

Posted by: Anonymous on Jun 11, 2008 at 05:52 AM
There is no indication in the article that the keys were left inside the vehicle. Is it possible he hotwired it?

Posted by: annoyed on Jun 11, 2008 at 03:00 AM
What u mean to tell me that this guy stole a cop car that some idiot lift the keys in and it was stollrn. When my car was taken by my sister and i gave the keys to her it was just joyriding but it is call steeling when it a cop car wow what a shock so if the keys are left in it isnt it the same as what i did shouldnt it be joy riding instead of stolen isnt it the same as giving someone the keysbut i guess sence it was a cop car it is diffrent than a citizenwho gets their car taken but i guess i'm not supprised cops think that they are better than the averageperson

Posted by: Anonymous on Jun 11, 2008 at 01:14 AM
WOW I never thought I'd see the day when WSAZ reporters could take lessons from Daily Independent reporters on how to cover a story!!! If you want what it looks like the WHOLE story check out www.dailyindependent.com.

Posted by: Anonymous on Jun 11, 2008 at 01:06 AM
WHERE in this story does it say the keys were left in this car? I believe it said this vehicle does not have police markings and is NOT in use anymore. I agree these criminals should not be allowed to have jobs especially with the city! I'm almost positive the cops have higher priority calls than hunting down a purse you probably left in your car or unattended in a shopping cart!

Posted by: Anonymous on Jun 11, 2008 at 12:29 AM
most poor that commit crimes are to lazy to work and draw a check anyway. they just commit the crimes to get their money to buy drugs

Posted by: DUH on Jun 10, 2008 at 10:36 PM
Read this people. It was not a police car. It used to be a police car. A police officer did not leave thekeys in it. The story above states "The car is a white, Ford Crown Victoria. The car had no police markings on it, but it did have an official Kentucky license plate. The car was no longer being used on on a daily basis." If you want to see the correct story read the on line edition of the dailyindependent. Complete different story. Poor reporting on someones part

Posted by: Amiee on Jun 10, 2008 at 10:10 PM
First of all, the car was no longer in the Police inventory and was being used by another city department. The car was parked in the city garage lot, where the police have no control over it. By saying it is a stolen police car was the only way it made the news even though it actually is not a "police car" as they (news) would like you to believe. I think the Officers of Ashland do an outstanding job.

Posted by: MDR on Jun 10, 2008 at 05:38 PM
Why were the keys in the car? I always thought that the police said take your keys and lock your car.

Posted by: Back to Jerome on June 10 on Jun 10, 2008 at 04:01 PM
I'm going to bust on To Jerome on June 10 alias; it is obvious from here that you were too lazy to get an education. The word is 'forgot' not "for got". It's not you "got a good point" it is you have a good point. Also, "their" is possessive, meaning belonging to ...’they're’ is short for 'they are' which is the correct way to write it…oh hell, I give up......once a dumb$%^ always a dumb$%^#!

Posted by: Rick on Jun 10, 2008 at 03:20 PM
That's gratitude for ya...meet a criminal "halfway", and he'll steal your car. BTW: In which branch of Mensa did the law enforcement officer who left the keys in the car hold membership?

Posted by: Matt on Jun 10, 2008 at 03:07 PM
I think the halfway house needs to be closed. I have lived next to the halfway house for many years and this is not the first time someone has walked away from it.

Posted by: Anonymous on Jun 10, 2008 at 01:49 PM
he needs to be locked up! why was the keys in the police car in the first place. we have seen this before they need to start taking the keys out of the vehicles! to me it is just common sense, i don't leave my keys in my car. however even if the keys were in the vehicle it is still no reason to steal the vehicle!

Posted by: Kathy S on Jun 10, 2008 at 01:01 PM
yeah but why on earth a POLICE CAR? i mean, that's a little obvious & easily found don't ya think? another STUPID criminal obviously! well, at least he didn't stab it! BTW WSAZ, how's that poor police car doing anyways? the one that was stabbed recently? lol. hope it recovered fully

Posted by: no one on Jun 10, 2008 at 12:09 PM
no keys should have been in the car

Posted by: Randy on Jun 10, 2008 at 11:52 AM
Jerome have you tried getting a job. I mean I work 50 hours a week. Yeah! I am still poor but at least I am trying and I would never stoop so low as to steal or harm others. GET A LIFE!

Posted by: to jerome on Jun 10, 2008 at 10:30 AM
you got a good point!!! but u for got 1 thing their too lazy to get a job !!!

Posted by: Jerome Paul Vidrine on Jun 10, 2008 at 09:04 AM
Most of all the people arrested all have one thing in common. They are POOR. I wonder what a good decient job would have on the crime rate of the POOR. Now lets bring it out of the closet nobody really cares about the POOR. Most of them commit crimes for survival, because there not enough good jobs for everyone. The plain truth, you just heard it. not fantasy land

Posted by: ohmy on Jun 10, 2008 at 08:53 AM
Ya know, all this guy has to do is allege that he had sex with a bunch of the patrolmen and they will fire them without a trial and let him walk free! Gotta luv it!

Posted by: samm on Jun 10, 2008 at 04:19 AM
Car 54 where are youuuuuuuuuuu!!!

Posted by: Michelle on Jun 10, 2008 at 03:53 AM
Oh boy...our great protectors. It took us seeing a story on this website to find a guy who recently stole a purse. We found the guy on here within 48 hours (he had been arrested by Huntington Police later the same day for another crime). Tried to alert the police, they act like they don't care. FRUSTRATION!

Posted by: shawn on Jun 9, 2008 at 11:52 PM
hillbilly cops chasing high school drop-outs..

Posted by: No worries on Jun 9, 2008 at 11:51 PM
Not to worry. The cars have a built in navigation system and programed to head straight to the donut shop when they are lost, bored, hungry, stolen.... I'm sure its right there in the parking lot as we speak.

Posted by: d.o.c.slim#29625 on Jun 9, 2008 at 10:46 PM
yo i think that crap is funny i wish the rest of the cop cars would get took

Posted by: David on Jun 9, 2008 at 09:12 PM
Why would a weapon be left unsecured in a garage area ?

Posted by: J on Jun 9, 2008 at 08:49 PM
GPS anyone?

Posted by: Anonymous on Jun 9, 2008 at 07:04 PM
lt.mouser is looking for you

Posted by: MIKE on Jun 9, 2008 at 06:24 PM
LMAO. How long will it take to live this one down?

Posted by: GARY on Jun 9, 2008 at 06:20 PM
LMAO

Posted by: Sam on Jun 9, 2008 at 05:14 PM
Oh Barney, where are you when we need you and your one bullet?

Posted by: Tim on Jun 9, 2008 at 04:33 PM
I wonder if the keys were left in it like the Charleston Police Car that was stolen several months back....

Posted by: Kyle on Jun 9, 2008 at 04:24 PM
Ashlands finest have their hands full today. First a drive off (OH MY) then they lose their car. Could these two incidents be related?

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