JPD arrests two on felony charges, one after foot chase, second hiding in Joplin Public Library dumpster

(From the Joplin Police Department)

Incident Spotlight

Sunday evening at about 5 p.m, one of our officers saw a male walking across the Joplin Library Parking lot at 20th and Connecticut. He recognized him as David Morris and knew he had felony warrants. 

Due to traffic, Morris got into a vehicle and the vehicle sped out of the lot before the officer could catch up. The officer stopped the vehicle at 17th and Delaware. The vehicle pulled to the wrong side of the roadway and both passenger doors opened and two males ran on foot in opposite directions. 

The officer chose to chase Morris since he knew he had warrants. He chased him over a couple of fences and through yards and arrested him at the front door of 1630 Delaware where he was trying to enter the house. He was arrested for felony resisting, felony Jasper County warrant and a felony Newton County warrant. 

When they returned to the police car, the suspect vehicle was gone. The female driving it then returned and was arrested for obstruction. 

A short time later, another officer who was still looking for the second male who ran found him hiding in a dumpster back at the Joplin Public Library. He was identified as Dustin Detherage and was arrested for felony probation violation warrant from Vernon County, felony resisting and possession of drug paraphernalia.

(Morris has the neck tattoo, Detherage has the face tattoo)