MANKATO, Minn. (AP) - It didn't take much work for two county sheriff's deputies in Minnesota to track down four burglary suspects.

In fact, the suspects pulled right into the Happy Chef restaurant where the Blue Earth County deputies were on a coffee break
Wednesday night.

The deputies had been investigating three residential burglaries that seemed to be related. When they were on their break at Happy Chef, a report of another burglary came in from another county, along with a description of the suspects' pickup truck.

A truck matching that description pulled right into the parking lot. The stolen goods, including laptop computers, other electronics and jewelry, were in the back.

Captain Rich Murry says it shows even a coffee break can be productive.

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Information from: The Free Press, http://www.mankatofreepress.com

Woman mistakes elk's call for a fight, calls cops

PHOENIX (AP) - It's a haunting, high-pitched scream that is commonly misunderstood by newcomers to Arizona's high country and the state's city dwellers. It's called bugling, and male elk do it to attract females and scare off other males so they can mate. The season just began and usually runs through the beginning of October.

Those who've never heard an elk bugle often get confused and call authorities. A woman who lives in Mesa Del, a subdivision just northeast of Payson, called the Gila County Sheriff's Office early Monday morning to report a fight, saying she heard a lot of screaming.

Lt. Tim Scott said responding deputies quickly realized the woman was really hearing elk.

Scott said he's heard bugling at his home just south of Payson for the past five nights.

ACLU may take on cops' saggy pants policy

FLINT, Mich. (UPI) -- The American Civil Liberties Union said it may file suit to challenge a Flint, Mich., police policy of charging wearers of saggy pants with indecent exposure.

The ACLU's Michigan chapter said it is seeking to speak to those targeted by the policy after Flint Police Chief David Dicks said he will not back down from his plan to charge those whose saggy pants expose too much underwear or bare bottoms with indecent exposure, the Detroit Free Press reported Tuesday.

"We are confident that young men in Flint will contact us now that the chief has announced that he won't budge," said Michael Steinberg, legal director of the Michigan ACLU. "If they do, we'll sue. We may have the dubious distinction of being the first saggy pants lawsuit in the country."

The ACLU said Monday was the deadline for Dicks to abandon the policy and they are now seeking to fight it.

However, Dicks said he will not be discouraged by the threat of an ACLU lawsuit. He said Flint police are "going to keep doing what we're doing."




Copyright 2008 by United Press International

'Ninja fighter' cop goes back to work

OVIEDO, Fla. (UPI) -- Police in Oviedo, Fla., say they have returned a badge and firearm to an officer who lost them briefly for saying he was a "super-trained killer ninja fighter."

Officer Justin Varkony has gone back to his normal job after being on office duty while officials probed a comment on his MySpace social networking Internet page, WKMG-TV, Orlando, Fla., reported.

"Jason is a super-trained killer ninja fighter of the night who has not had a chance to use this special skill yet," the comment said.

Authorities said there was no validity to an accusation that Varkony went against police conduct rules.




Copyright 2008 by United Press International