Saturday, August 08, 2009

Officer Joseph Harrison Arrested for Stealing Drugs from Neighbors

A Clatskanie police officer resigned Tuesday after being arrested on charges he stole drugs from his neighbors.

Joseph Harrison broke into two Clatskanie homes to steal Vicodin and oxycodone, according to probable cause documents. A timeline provided by the Attorney General's office claims the first burglary occurred in mid-April and the second burglary took place on April 28.

While being interviewed this week, Harrison told investigators that he was on duty and in uniform during the second burglary, according to the court documents.

"I am kind of sad that it's an officer in my community that got in trouble," said Joseph Maes, who lives in Clatskanie. "Really, it's a disgrace to this town. (I) know it doesn't make our town look good."

The victims in the case did not want to be identified Wednesday.

The Clatskanie Police Chief said the allegations were a "bombshell." Harrison, who was jailed on charges of burglary, theft and official misconduct, was a 9-year veteran of the Clatskanie Police Department.

"For me, to find out that he was really like this was a let down to me and I'm sure to a lot of the community around here," Maes said.

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