Man Robs Postal Worker
Redding, CA – On Wednesday, May 20, 2015 at approximately 11:30 a.m. Redding Police officers responded to the 700 block of Locust Street for a reported suspicious subject call. SHASCOM dispatch advised responding officers that an unknown white male had taken control of a United States Postal Delivery Vehicle and the driver was calling for help.
Upon arrival officers contacted Christopher Sage, a 28 year old Redding area transient, who displayed symptoms of acute methamphetamine intoxication. Sage refused to obey any commands by officers to peacefully submit to arrest. Sage was holding a full glass bottle (750 ml) of whisky in his hands.
Officers on scene utilized oleoresin capsicum spray (pepper spray) in an effort to arrest Sage but it had limited affect. Sage continued to actively resist arrest requiring an officer to use baton strikes to Sage’s extremities. Eventually Sage was taken to the ground and handcuffed, yet he continued to resist by kicking, spitting and biting officers. Sage displayed enormous strength, appeared dilusional and pain compliance techniques had little effect on him. While fighting with officers he made animal noises and growled, at one point he stated he was being cut in half with a saw.
Once placed into a police vehicle, Sage attempted to kick out windows and slip his handcuffs. Officers had to extricate Sage from the vehicle and restrain his legs while he continued to spit and kick at them.
Sage was found to be in possession of a homemade knife and a broken glass methamphetamine pipe. Sage was transported to Shasta Regional Medical Center where he was medically cleared for booking into Shasta County Jail.
The postal employee, Landon Kucharski told officers he had parked his vehicle and exited it to make a door delivery. Kucharski stated he was confronted by Sage who claimed his whiskey was poisoned by Kucharski. Kucharski told officers he had never seen Sage before, but knew something was wrong with him. Suddenly Sage entered the parked postal vehicle and began going through its contents, at one point stealing and eating Kucharski’s lunch and drinking his water. Kucharski stated Sage was acting bizarre and was afraid of him.
Sage was booked into Shasta County Jail for robbery, under the influence of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) and attempting to take it into a jail facility, possession of a dangerous weapon (homemade knife), prowling and resisting arrest.
Cops should have euthanized him
It’s quite a wonder we letter carriers, both city and rural, don’t get assaulted or worse any more than we already do. I don’t blame management – this is our job to deliver mail to every house and we have to expect certain isolated risks.
However, I truly think the number of murders and attacks on carriers is on a frightening upswing. Several carriers have died at the hands of scumbags in recent years, and in those cases, particularly the ones where CCA’s were ordered out after dark into dangerous neighborhoods, management should not have sent them out.
But this was a broad daylight attack by a deranged meth head, and their numbers are legion. My route is full of these types. I know losers when I see them, and I deliver to rent controlled apartments that are as nasty as any inner city slum. There’s gang activity, especially among Latinos, my city having had two murders in drive by shootings and retaliation in the last couple of months in the midwest in a town of 75,000. We like to think those problems are in much larger cities, but it’s epidemic.
Management has a couple options – one, arm the letter carriers. That’ll never happen. Stop service permanently in neighborhoods well known for violence. Universal service is nice, but if a carrier can’t do his or her rounds because parts of their routes are so dangerous, then service should be cancelled. Junk mail isn’t worth getting robbed or shot over.