by Chris Cannon
FRANKLIN, Tenn. - Franklin Police arrested a Louisiana man suspected in several shoplifting cases at Academy Sports stores in several states.
The Academy Sports store in Decatur, Ala was robbed of thousands of dollars of merchandise around 9:30 Thursday morning.
An alert from lost prevention at that store went out to the store in Franklin, the next closet location.
"We got this information, we have a strong possibility that he may be heading to our location since we are the next closest Academy Sports," the store employee told Officer Ben Jones from the Franklin Police Department.
Decatur is one hour and 40 minutes from Franklin, so if the suspect was headed north he would have been in Franklin shortly after the officers learned what happened.
Jones and his partner Officer Nick Grandy set up surveillance in an undercover car outside the store and waited to see if the suspect made the trip to Franklin.
Fifteen minutes later they spotted 34-year-old Louis Harmon pull into the parking lot. He was driving a Honda last scene at the Decatur store. He drove right by the two officers.
"Passed right in front of where we were sitting. Like I said, we were unmarked. So he was oblivious," Jones said.
The watched as Harmon stopped his car outside the store.
"The car parked in the parking lot, we pulled up behind it quickly, got out and took control of the driver and started our investigation," Grandy said.
The officers arrested Harmon for driving on a suspended license. They dealt with his car next.
"His vehicle was to be towed because Academy Sports banned him from all locations nationwide. They do not want him on the property of any location, anywhere in this country," Jones said.
Harman is expected of robbing Academy Sports stores in Texas, Louisiana and Alabama.
The officers had to take an inventory of the car before it was towed and discovered stolen merchandise.
"The trunk was just full, from side to side, front to back, full of shoes," Grandy said.
Police confiscated 26 pair of Nike shoes and 26 Nike shirts valued at nearly $5,000.
Franklin Police said the arrest came about because of the department's relationship with the business community.
"The increased cooperation between police and private security is good for everyone. It's good for the police, for the community, the businesses. Who it's not good for are the criminals," said Charlie Warner from Franklin Police.
Police say Harmon is a convicted felon with a lengthy criminal history that includes drug, theft, and assault charges.
He is being held in the Williamson County Jail on a $15,500 bond. Texas authorities are expected to pick him up for prosecution in that state.
