NEWS
Sgt. James Berry was walking between Wilson Field and the library at 4:42 a.m. when he saw a man that the police identified as Matthew Jacobs of Orange using a ribbed knife to saw the lock off of the pole it was wrapped around.
This is the third case where Orange Police have made an arrest related to stealing bicycles on Chapman’s campus since September. Orange Police have no evidence that Jacobs has been involved in past bike thefts.
“I suppose that isn’t your bike,” the report says Berry told Jacobs.
Jacobs claimed that the bike had been abandoned for a few months. But Berry didn’t believe the excuse and grabbed the bike from Jacobs. Jacobs then swung at Berry.
Jacobs allegedly attempted to punch and kick Berry several times while the two scuffled on the ground for about three minutes. He was able to escape from Berry as Orange Police arrived on the scene.
Public Safety officer Ryan Schroeder also arrived to assist and was able to grab Jacobs by the backpack he was wearing and drag him to the ground.
“I wouldn’t have fought [Berry] if he presented two forms of police identification,” Jacobs said in the report.
He repeatedly asked to be cited and released, according to Orange Police. Jacobs identified himself as homeless, naming Mary’s Soup Kitchen as his residence, and said that he needed the bicycle for transportation.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I know you were just doing your job,” Jacobs later told Berry. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”
Jacobs was arrested on suspicion of robbery and was transported to Orange Police Department detention. Jacobs is currently being held at Orange County Jail.
The black mountain bike that triggered the incident was booked as evidence, along with the knife and cut lock. The owner can reclaim the bicycle by coming to the Orange Police with its serial number.
Berry declined to comment for this story because of a department policy that only Randy Burba, chief of Public Safety, can talk to the press unless he gives special permission.
Senior Rim Blair, public relations and advertising major, believes that there is bitter relationship between Public Safety officers and students but thinks that students wouldn’t be as critical if they knew about incidents like Jacobs’ arrest.
“I think it would take them away from being seen as the bad guys all the time,” she said.
The majority of Public Safety officers have more than 500 hours of police academy training that includes dozens of hours in self-defense courses, Burba said. Officers are also trained to talk with a suspect before using force, he said.
“An officer may use any reasonable and necessary force to overcome resistance while making a lawful arrest or defend themselves from a physical attack,” Burba wrote in an e-mail.
Blair has never heard of Public Safety assisting in an arrest like this, she said. She once conducted a project for a class where she interviewed students about their thoughts on Public Safety.
“Up until know I haven’t heard of them doing anything to keep us safe,” Blair said.
Junior Nick Tossey, public relations and advertising major, thinks that students get a bad impression of Public Safety.
It is important to remember that Public Safety enforces the rules made by the administration, Tossey said.
“If someone can come onto campus, just imagine what they could do if Public Safety wasn’t enforcing,” he said.
Contact this reporter: daniel.langhorne@thepantheronline.com
