Police blotter: Gig Harbor’s finest show a kinder, gentler side

Catch and release

Sept. 21 — Two officers were at a coffee shop in the 6900 block of Kimball Drive shortly before 6 p.m. when they noticed a suspicious-looking man walk to a closed thrift store, where some items had been left outside. When he walked away from the thrift store there was a new, noticeable bulge in his pocket. Challenged, the man took a flashlight from his pocket, and officers noticed residue of heroin inside the pocket. They also noticed that the flashlight had a price tag on it.

But there was not enough heroin to meet charging standards, and the officers let the man go after he apologized and returned the flashlight to the thrift store.

Dinner, thanks to a cop

Sept. 22 — While patrolling on foot at 8:30 p.m. in the 4700 block of Point Fosdick Drive, an officer noticed a suspicious man holding a package of street tacos. The man said was homeless and stole the tacos from a nearby store because he had not eaten in days. Searching three layers of clothing, the officer found two homemade pipes using for smoking heroin, and destroyed them both.

The store manager declined to press charges and the officer drove the man to a fast-food restaurant and bought him a meal.

This story was originally published September 25, 2019 at 12:00 AM.