St. Tammany News

A Slidell Police K-9 officer apprehended a self-described methadone addict Wednesday night after he tried to break into a pharmacy with a sledgehammer.

Jason Patrick Wallace, 25, of 172 Indian Village Road, ignored Sgt. Chris Newman's three verbal commands to stop before Newman released his K-9 partner, Chase, who then attached himself to Wallace's arm. According to reports, Slidell police received a call from a man who said he heard banging coming from inside The Medicine Shop on Robert Boulevard.

As responding officers neared the building, they could hear the sound of metal striking metal.

Approaching the side of the building, they encountered Wallace attempting to force his way through a side door with a sledgehammer, Capt. Rob Callahan said.

"Most thieves try to be as quiet as possible and wait until the middle of the night," Callahan said. "This guy was banging away at the door with a sledgehammer at 10:30 at night. He was adamant about getting into the building."

Wallace, apparently unsuspecting of his sledgehammer's ability to make a noise loud enough to be heard from the street, was surprised by officers and fled into a nearby wooded area. At this point, Wallace refused commands to stop, and Newman released his K-9.

After being treated at nearby Slidell Memorial Hospital for minor dog bite wounds, Wallace told officers of his addiction and was booked with attempted burglary of a pharmacy, illegal possession of burglary tools and resisting arrest by flight. The crime of burglary of a pharmacy carries a jail term of no less than one year and no more than nine years in prison if convicted.

"Pharmacies have security systems similar to what you would see in a bank," Callahan said. "They do have narcotics inside, but they keep them locked in a safe at night."

While it is unlikely that Wallace would have been able to bypass the pharmacy's security measures using only his sledgehammer, Callahan said he was acting out of desperation.

"His (Wallace's) mother called me Thursday morning," Callahan said. "She told me her son has been in rehab several times already. He actually called his father Wednesday during the day and asked to be sent to rehab again, so he knew he needed help."