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| James Eugene Pratt |
Murphy, NC— Shortly after noon March 23, 2012 the Cherokee County Emergency Communications Center received a call for assistance which provided information that a person had been held against her will at gunpoint. The caller further provided information that the subject at the residence was armed and had barricaded himself in the residence.
As the incident unfolded law enforcement responded to a residence on U.S. Highway 19 in Cherokee County. According to information being provided James Eugene Pratt a 50 year old Cherokee County resident was armed and had barricaded himself into the residence. Additional information was gained that Pratt had held a female in the residence at gunpoint during the night time hours of March 22, 2012.
Over the course of the next few hours the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office crisis negotiator spoke with Pratt in an attempt to resolve the matter peacefully. After the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team secured the area, Pratt eventually exited the residence and surrendered and was taken into custody without further incident.
During the incident the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office was provided assistance by Cherokee Tribal Police Department’s Command Van, and manpower from the Andrews Police Department, Cherokee County Schools Company Police Department, North Carolina Highway Patrol and Cherokee Tribal Police Department.
Sheriff Lovin stated that “this was an extremely bad situation that ended with excellent results. It was a demonstration of the team effort of some very professional people during a time of crisis.”
Pratt is currently being held in the Cherokee County Detention Center for Kidnapping, Assault by Pointing a gun, and Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Pratt is currently under a $75,000.00 secure bond.
You people are as terribly misinformed as MSNBC. I see how you so "cleverly" decided to leave the FACT out that the person who was allegedly "kidnapped" was his psychotic wife, who was in his home. She chose to be there, for many years, without incident. I know for a fact that the law enforcement in your community is, at the very least, a joke. Apparantly, wasting taxpayer dollars is what you all do best. There was not one officer in your so-called "team effort of very professional people" who had the brains or the bravery to walk up to Mr. Pratt's door and ask him to peacefully surrender, which he ended up doing by his own free will. Instead, all of the "intelligence" you chose to exhibit decided to have 16 cars full of law enforcement, equipped with automatic weapons and bulletproof vests stand down at the bottom of his driveway and act like cowards. Shame on every one of you. Mr. Pratt does not own any firearms. He is not a dangerous person, or a flight risk. He doesn't deserve the extremely high bond. I would suggest you get the whole story before deciding your opinion should be declared as fact. Look at his wife a little more closely, as she is no class act, and CERTAINLY no victim. Just another sponge for the government who people who actually work for a living have no choice but to support, thanks to tax dollars. Check out her medical history. Give her a drug test and a psychological evaluation. I hope someone decides to find out the actual truth, instead of just posting an opinion based on inaccuracies. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThese small town are such a joke. Seems the "Sheriff" failed to mention this was his wife, she owned the gun, lived in the house, and James had never even spoken to a cop about anything that was going on. Only from the "wife" did they have a statement, cops went 100% by what she told them, James was never asked to come outside, never once told he was under arrest, all he knew was his crazy ass wife had called the cops because he would leave the house he pays for. Strange to me is that she made multiple phone calls and texts while she was "kidnaped", check her phone records if you "cops" are so smart. You gave a good man a bad rap for for a disgruntle wife told you. This is the way of the land there. Sheriff gets a call from someone, never asks the other parties side, calls for back up, 16 patrol cars later, full automatic rifles, bullet proof vests and itchy trigger fingers. To me this is a wast of tax payees money. Did any one from "Sheriff's" Dept talk to James ? Did anyone want to hear his side of the story ? I bet not !! I hope a lawyer gets this and gives "The Team of Professionals" the battle they so wanted. Team work, wow !
ReplyDeleteThe "Cherokee Police Department" isn't giving the public the whole details, in which this plays a major role in. James Pratt also know to some as Jimmy, was pretty much set up by his wife (which was the so called "hostage") James didn't have nobody at gun point and as a matter of fact, Mr. Pratt doesn't own a gun to his name. The Cherokee County Police say they acted together as a team and professionally. James was not approached by one of the deputies of the 16 police cars to polity ask him to "surrender". So instead they have deputies with bullet proof vests and fully automatic high powered rifles. The Cherokee county police is giving themself credit where no credit is due. It's a crying shame that this is how our government operates on regular day circumstances. Mr Pratt is forced to be in the situation he is because it is his wife's word over his. Our justice system is a nothing short of being a joke.
ReplyDeleteI, along with many others have left posts which are evidently being removed. Not everyone thinks the job you all are doing should be categorized as " teamwork by professionals". The comments made weren't malicious or derogatory. It would be greatly appreciated to have both sides of the story posted. Thank You.
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