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46 °F 5 Day Forecast Sunday, November 30, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend November 5, 2003 Medford police aim their guns at Christopher Wayne Gibson, a transient, during a felony stop Tuesday at Grape and Fifth streets. Gibson, 16, was arrested on a charge of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Felony stop nets suspected car thief Guns-drawn procedure was an eye-opener for bystanders By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune With guns drawn, almost a dozen Medford police officers circled a stolen Ford Explorer Tuesday morning, keeping an eye on four suspects who might’ve been be armed. For bystanders at the corner of North Grape and Fifth streets, the scene resembled a cop television show as officers yelled, "Put your hands above your head." But for the police, this is just standard procedure for about a dozen felony traffic stops they make each month. "It could look pretty dramatic, I can imagine," said Medford Sgt. Brett Johnson. Advertisement In Tuesday’s incident, officers arrested two men, a 16-year-old boy and one woman and confiscated knives. The juvenile, Christopher Wayne Gibson, a transient, was arrested on a felony charge of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and on a warrant for a misdemeanor assault in Douglas County. He is being held in the Jackson County juvenile detention center. The keys were left inside the Explorer when it was taken sometime Monday night in the 100 block of Peach Street. The adults who were taken into custody were released after officers determined they weren’t involved in taking the vehicle. Johnson said officers are trained to take every precaution when a felony arrest is being made. Suspects are asked one by one to step out of the vehicle while officers remain at a relatively safe distance. With hands above their heads, the suspects are told to walk backwards toward the police cars, then to kneel while an officer handcuffs them. Standard procedure is to have the driver step out of the vehicle and bring the keys to the officers. Johnson said officers are trained at the police academy in how to handle a felony arrest involving a motor vehicle. "It’s standard on a high-risk stop," he said. "We train on this every year." Although most arrests are fairly smooth, Johnson said officers sometimes run into language barriers and suspects who are hearing impaired or who are drunk. "We’ve got to use discretion and size up each situation," he said. "Usually, people are pretty cooperative." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times