By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Decatur County, Tenn.—With the help of Cpl. Stacey Bostwick and his K9 bloodhound Rowdy, a man wanted by both Decatur and Benton County law enforcement was caught late last night.
Billie Joe Cruse was wanted in connection with a crime spree in both counties over the past week and Decatur County Sheriff Keith Byrd told WENK/WTPR that Cruse had told Benton County deputies he ‘was not going to be taken alive’.
Byrd said Cruse had been breaking into homes and stealing items in both counties “and I was really worried he was going to break into someone house and end up hurting someone.”
After deputies had chased him through both counties last night, Byrd said, they caught up to him in the Woodland Shores area where residents found him sitting on their porch. Cruse left his car abandoned behind houses and entered a heavily wooded area.
“That’s when I called (Henry County Sheriff) Monte Belew and asked him if he could send one of his Bloodhounds and he sent Stacey and Rowdy. And in less than 10 minutes, Rowdy had found him,” Byrd said.
Sheriff Belew said this morning that Bostwick used material with Cruse’s scent on it “and led the deputies straight to him. He was about 200 yards into the woods.”
Belew said that Rowdy was given a 20-piece chicken nuggets meal after the part he played in capturing accused murderer and escaped inmate Curtis Watson in Henning last weekend. “I don’t know what we’ll get him this time. I’m afraid to give him more chicken nuggets because we don’t want him putting on too much weight!”
Byrd said Cruse is in the Decatur County Jail this morning charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, a charge stemming from yesterday’s chase, three counts of reckless endangerment and multiple burglaries.
Rowdy was also on the scene along with Sheriff Belew and Cpl. Bostwick when Murderer Kirby Wallace was caught in Stewart Co. after a lengthy manhunt in October of 2018.
Photo of Cpl. Bostwick and Rowdy by Shannon McFarlin
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