Jasper Police arrested two Kansas men after an extensive manhunt on Sunday night.
Officers with Jasper Police Department arrested Dereck Zamzow, 22, of Kansas, and Noah Jaymes Oates, 20, also of Kansas, after a manhunt that lasted more than 8 hours.
Officers first responded to a suspicious person call at businesses in the area of Highway 78 and Walston Bridge Road. There they located two men, one who was visibly armed. The officer was able to disarm the suspect, but both suspects fled into the woods near the Eagle Circle subdivision.
Additional patrol officers and other police personnel responded to the scene and set up a perimeter. The first suspect was captured just before 10 p.m. after a foot chase and the second was captured just before 3 a.m.
“Our officers and dispatchers did an outstanding job in closing the area down and relaying information from the public to the officers in the area,” Police Chief J.C. Poe said. “We’re also grateful for the residents in that area that provided assistance to us throughout this process. Without our vigilant citizens, who cooperated with us, this would have been a much more difficult process.”
The vehicle the suspects were originally in was identified as a stolen company vehicle from Haleyville. The suspects painted over the company decals. They said they ran out of gas in Jasper and were waiting until nightfall to steal another vehicle.
During the chase, the suspects broke into at least one garage and took clothing before running back into the woods.
The gun taken from the suspects has also been identified as stolen from Kansas. Jasper Police are working with authorities in Haleyville and agencies in Kansas to determine what charges each agency will have.
The suspects are currently being held in Jasper City Jail, but will be transferred to Walker County Jail once felony warrant are issued.
