Sheriff commends two Libby men for catching suspects

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office has recognized two Libby men for their help in apprehending two men fleeing from law enforcement on June 6.

Capt. Boyd White on Sept. 20 presented Patrick Hartley and Davey Strand with certificates of appreciation signed by Sheriff Roby Bowe.

White praised Hartley and Strand for assisting him and other law enforcement personnel in locating and capturing Immanuel Brown and Daniel Hanson that day.

“When the public jumps in and helps like that, it helps us know that we have their trust,” he said.

White said deputies had been looking for Brown and Hanson June 6 after felony arrest warrants were issued in relation to a series of thefts from businesses and vehicles. The pair were identified on surveillance video, he said.

Hartley was the first to get involved that day. He had just turned east onto Second Street Extension from Highway 2 in Libby when he saw White’s SUV, lights flashing, pulled over on the north side of the road.

He also saw Brown and Hanson “take off running” through a nearby field toward the railroad tracks, he said.

After Hartley pulled over and asked if White needed help, White asked him to help keep an eye on the two and then drove off to access that area from the west side.

Moments later, Troy Police Chief Katie Davis, who White said was in town to drop someone off at the jail, arrived on scene. After Hartley told her where the two men were running, Davis drove off toward the east side of the area.

Hartley then went to New to You Pawn at 1116 W. 2nd Street Ext., where he asked Strand, his friend and the shop’s owner, if he could use the access road behind the shop to try to access the area from the middle.

Hartley then took off in one direction, Strand in another, and Libby Police Officer Ron Buckner showed up close behind.

Brown and Hanson, who had separated at that point, darted in and out of view in the field. Eventually, each good samaritan caught a suspect — Hartley running after and then diving to stop Brown, and Strand getting in front of Hanson and commanding him to stop.

White later recalled watching Hartley walk toward him, pushing Brown with his hands behind his back. After taking Brown into custody, White said Brown exclaimed, “That guy wasn’t a cop?”

Despite the Sheriff’s Office appreciation for when the public lends a hand, White did stress that people “need to use caution because some of these suspects are very dangerous.”

“In this case, the decision to help all worked out fine,” he said. “They were pretty brave.”

Strand took it in stride.

“The Sheriff’s Office and the Police help us so much,” he said. “When we can give back, we give back.”