Richard Lance Copeland, 62, of Onalaska, has been charged with robbery.
Man Arrested and Charged With Afternoon Robbery of Pizza Hut, LIVINGSTON, December 7, 2010 - At around 1 pm on December 7, 2010, the City of Livingston Dispatch Center radioed that a man had just robbed Pizza Hut in Livingston and fled in an older model gray Mercedes Benz Sedan north on Business 59. Livingston Police Units immediately and methodically initiated a search for the suspect vehicle.
According to witnesses, the man allegedly walked into Pizza Hut around 1 pm and stated that it was a robbery and that he had a weapon (although he never produced a weapon of any kind), the man allegedly got physical when he grabbed the arm of the Pizza Hut cashier apparently trying to intimidate the worker. The man left the establishment and was not given any money.
Lieutenant Matt Parrish spotted the Mercedes minutes later exiting Old Bold Springs Road in the northern end of Livingston. Parrish initiated a traffic stop and pulled the vehicle over on the service road of US-59 just north of Wal-Mart Supercenter on the south-bound side of the highway. Lieutenant Parrish placed the man, Richard Lance Copeland, 62, of Onalaska under arrest without a struggle. Copeland was booked into Polk County Jail and charged with robbery.
Lieutenant Parrish Stated to PolkCountyToday.com that the Dispatchers were instrumental in the quick apprehension of the robbery suspect because they were quick to get out the radio call and give a very good description of the suspect, the vehicle, and the seriousness of the alleged crime. The incident is under investigation by the Livingston Police Department.
Pizza Hut located on North Washington in Livingston
Richard Lance Copeland was pulled over by the Livinston Police Department on the US-59 service road in Livingston.
Lieutenant Parrish was backed up by Police Chief Dennis Clifton and 2 other patrol units.
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