17 August 2006

Arrested Development

A Lincoln, Nebraska man celebrated (?) his 226th arrest over the past weekend:
Kevin Holder's rap sheet is 43 pages long, dating back to 1980, and he just got another entry - his 226th arrest. Police say they caught him Sunday morning after a brief chase and found burglar tools in his possession.

"He's very well-known to Lincoln police officers," Police Chief Tom Casady said.

Holder's convictions include criminal mischief, marijuana possession, violation of protection order, assault, resisting arrest, assault on an officer, possession of cocaine. Many were misdemeanors, but he also has been sentenced to at least three prison terms for felonies, including a four-year stretch starting in 1996.

I was amazed just at that achievement, but was even more amazed to discover that that's not even close to the record:
A number of people have more than 500 arrests in the city of 226,000 people. The record was held by Edward Rooks, who died in 2004, with 652 arrests.

The cold-hearted prosecutor assigned to Holder's most recent case is pursuing felony charges which could result in a 60-years sentence and put a crimp in Holder's pursuit of the arrests record. With the can-do spirit of perseverence he's shown thus far, however, perhaps Holder will manage to overcome even this obstacle.

I wouldn't be less proud of him for breaking the record in his chosen field than I was when Barry Bonds passed Babe Ruth on the home runs list.

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