MASON CITY – It’s a little early for track season in these parts, but a man with no known permanent address challenged police officers to a foot race today near the Cultural Crescent while armed with a multiple intoxicating substances.
According to police, despite temperatures at or below freezing, a man was riding a bicycle near 4th Street NE and Massachusetts Avenue at just after 1:00 AM when officers attempted to pull him over. The subject dumped his two-wheeler and fled on foot. Up to five Mason City police officers joined in the chase/search for 28-year-old Philip John Melby, eventually seizing him.
Melby had a valid arrest warrant issued for him in November of 2013 by a judge in a felony burglary case in Mason City and had been wanted ever since. He was charged with 3rd offense possession of meth, 3rd offense possession of marijuana, 3rd offense possession of controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and interference.
Melby has faced interference charges before – being found guilty in 2006 of the crime with injury to a Mason City police officer involved. He has also faced drug possession charges in the past. In 2009, he plead guilty to third offense drug possession.
To complicate matters for Melby, once he got the jail Friday, he was found to be in possession of of further contraband in the jail and issued an additional charge of felony possession of contraband.
Melby is now in the Cerro Gordo County Jail awaiting a January 31 court date.
SUBJECT IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY
Only reason the scumbag run off is Democrap’s has made it illegal for cops to shoot a warning shot at them. Back in the day he would of not ran yes. Hippy’s your not welcome here go to California that is land of nuts and fruits yes.
Phil,…you seem articulate enough to understand this. Get a job dude and quit hiding behind/underneath you’re mother’s nities. He lost his father(whom I knew) to a tragedy. You’re getting to be as bad as LVS you jackass. Try and humble yourself. Perhaps lose the jaded, worthless comments in here and form a resume of WHAT YOU’VE EVER DONE??? PS shitferbrains,…if you’re really Peter Children…do like Bobby Fischer and vamoose. TFF,…hiding out in stores and pulling the tiny tim boogie. Hahahahahaha
Aragorn, son of Arathorn.
Well, he is a vagabond. What else could you expect? He should move to Colorado.
Good one, Buzz.
Caught with “mary jane” Oh God, the humanity! Yup, mary jane and meth go together like ham and eggs.
These police around here don’t seem to understand the concept of Probable Cause. Just because someone is out in the cold weather does not give police the ability to interfere with them. The 4th Amendment exists for a reason. Time for lawyers and public defenders to step up their game and send the message that random stops on citizens won’t be tolerated. That includes Judges also.
You must know a lot about this case, like what evidence they had against him or why they pulled him over.
The 4th amendment has been stripped by the supreme court and courts and police think the ends justify the means these days. There is no probable cause needed anymore, that was the old America.
You’re right sadly. I think it was that Florida Homeless Man Case where the Supreme Court ruled that citizens must present their ID’s to police if police ask. I mean wow…really? Show us your papers? Here in America? Wow.
You both are wrong. People around here need to start educating them selves just a little bit more. Here’s some links for you all to study.
http://www.copblock.org/
http://www.flexyourrights.org/
http://thecitizenscolumn.com/the-people-fight-back/?category=Know+Your+Rights
You’re an idiot. The officer saw him and knew he had a warrant, hence the F to A charge. When you are this big of a loser, cops tend to recognize you. Probable cause was the warrant. DUH
Probably suspicion was his act of fleeing when he saw police officers. It’s the law.
Mr. Basement Gnome, Maybe you’re the one that doesn’t understand the concept of Probable Cause.
That’s better than the Travelocity Gnome!
The police had a right to question him and he gave the probable cause when he ran. If he had nothing to hide he wouldn’t have had a problem.
Everyone knows weed kills. It is a dangerous drug and should stay banned. Only backward places like Colorado make it legal.
And 21 other states.