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Local News

July 2, 2009

Man arrested in pharmacy robbery

Ron Booth

DUNCAN — Joshua Clifton Johnson, 24, of Cordell was arrested Wednesday by the Cordell Police Department for allegedly robbing the Duncan Walgreens.

Duncan Police Detective John Byers and Capt. Jay Evans responded to a call at 9:30 p.m. Sunday at the local store. Byers said that pharmacists at the store reported that a man demanded Lortabs (hydrocodone bitartrate acetaminophen), and the pharmacists produced two bottles.

“I got photo captures from the surveillance video and e-mailed them and took them around to area law enforcement agencies,” Byers said. “[Stephens County] Sheriff Reserve Officer Richard Keenan said that he went to school with the suspect.”

Byers said that Johnson was known to be in Cordell, so he contacted the Cordell Police Department. The CPD maintained surveillance on Johnson until Byers was able to get a warrant for Johnson’s arrest.

After the warrant was issued, the Cordell Police Department pulled Johnson over and arrested him on the warrant. At the time of his arrest, Johnson allegedly had a bag of narcotics in his possession. Byers said that his training leads him to believe that the bag contained hydrocodone.

“He’ll have to be arraigned on the charges that they have him on up there,” Byers said. “It’ll be Monday before he gets back here.

“I’d like to express my appreciation to Reserve Deputy Richard Keenan, the Cordell Police Department and the attorney general’s office. They (the AG’s office) had an investigator who had information on Johnson’s whereabouts.”

Johnson faces charges of robbery by force or fear. A conviction on the felony carries a penalty of not less than 10 years.

First Assistant District Attorney Dennis Gay said that all of the law enforcement offices did a good job with the case.

“Duncan Police Department’s Detective John Byers and Capt. Jay Evans did a good job with the case as did the Cordell Police Department,” Gay said. “Reserve Sheriff Deputy Keenan did a good job in identifying him (Johnson). They all did a good job.”

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