Brad Young: A Thief, A Liar, A Cop

Sept. 22, 2015 (Mimesis Law) — On August 6, 2013, over two years ago, Waupun, Wisconsin police lieutenant Brad Young was arrested for burglary, auto theft, and evading arrest. The 6’5”, 260 pound officer had apparently been caught in the act of burglarizing a restaurant in Green Lake, Wisconsin, and Young fled on foot into a wooded area, after being able to elude a deputy in a corn field. His car was located nearby and searched after the sheriff’s office obtained a warrant.

Young, who was dressed in camouflage, was eventually caught after SWAT teams from Barron, Burnett, Douglas, and Washburn counties were called out, along with state officers from the Wisconsin State Patrol, the Wisconsin Department of Justice-Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), and state game wardens (DNR), who provided aircraft for the search. Young then apparently stole a car and engaged in a high-speed chase, until he wrecked out and, again, fled on foot.

He eventually realized he was surrounded, called 911, and was arrested without incident at a cabin he had broken into during his flight.

Young had been a police officer with the Waupun police department for 22 years, and a lieutenant for 8 years. In a department of that size, with about 17 officers, a lieutenant is a pretty big deal and a powerful position. He resigned after his arrest, which is not abnormal in these types of cases.

As the investigation unfolded, it became clear that this was not a one-time incident. Young eventually confessed to over 60 burglaries, committed in seven different counties. By February of this year, Young entered into a plea bargain, pleading no contest to seven burglaries in returning for capping the maximum prison term he was facing.

Apparently, he had gambling issues, which put him under financial pressure. Last week, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison, with a minimum confinement of 15 years. Young will be over age 60 when he is eligible to be released and in his mid- to late-70s when he completes his sentence. Restitution of just under $100,000 was ordered to be paid.

This is the reason we need to keep a close eye on law enforcement. Like many of these crimes, it is not just one offense; it’s often a series of them. And to the other officers in a department, it is like being stabbed in the back and punched in the gut at the same time. When I worked as a police officer, we had an officer who used the information in police reports to apply for credit cards in other people’s names, and then purchase items on the cards.

He eventually got caught of course, and was arrested, fired, and prosecuted, but there is no way to show or explain the two main problems that he caused. First and most importantly, was the trust we as a department lost with the community. How do you explain to the people you serve that one of your own was a crook, and worse than that, a thief?* Second, it makes you doubt the people you work with, who you have to depend on to have your back. The bad cop swore an oath, just like I did, and just like every other police officer did, to uphold the law, to protect and defend the Constitution. Was he always a liar† or was this some character defect that only surfaced later? Do we need to look at everything he has ever done at the department?

Finally, any friendship is over. I remember the officer we fired for credit card abuse—his best friend was a officer at the department. It was not a good idea to mention the felon cop’s name to him unless you wanted to listen to the ex-friend vent about what a low-life the fired guy was. There are no words to explain the sense of betrayal.

In Waupun, the officers can now start to put this behind them. One thing that I would ask everyone else to remember is that the good, decent officers of Waupun all want Young punished for his crimes. Probably more than the victims do.

* I don’t know why, but almost every police officer really dislikes thieves. A lot.

† We’re pretty much the same on liars.

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