This could be the easiest police manhunt in history.
This fugitive from Georgia essentially helped local law enforcement to arrest him after he commented on the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office's Facebook page.
How About Me?
When this sheriff's office posted a "Most Wanted List" for November, something unexpected happened in the comment section. A man named Christopher Spaulding commented on the post, saying, " How about me?" as if offended by the omission from the list.
People on the list were accused of major crimes such as murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault, and kidnapping.
The office replied on Thursday, "you are correct you have two warrants, we are on the way." Later that day, the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office shared an update about the Georgia fugitive.
The department shared a photo of Spaulding, now in custody. He is wearing a red local sports fan hoodie and a hat while his hands are handcuffed. "We appreciate you for your assistance in your capture!" the sheriff's office said in the post.
The office then revealed that 40-year-old Spaulding had two warrants for Felony Violation of Probation.
According to the New York Post, after Spaulding was apprehended, the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office warned wanted fugitives that being excluded from the "Most Wanted List" is not a free pass out of jail. The police also state that their top ten Most Wanted Lists are compiled depending on the severity of the charges.
Spaulding's comment that helped top his arrest has more than 400 reactions on the platform. Meanwhile, the sheriff's update post has more than 1,400 reactions and 1,700 shares.
The unusual interaction between the fugitive and the authorities elicited chuckles online. Many others could not believe it, and one Facebook user said, "You couldn't make this up if you tried." Another user said, "They dragged him straight out of the profile pic." A third person added, "Makes it extra easier when he's still wearing the same clothes from his profile pic."
But some locals claim that what the department did could have been better. One user commented, "Hilarious! Publicly embarrassing a special needs person. Stay classy you guys!"
Another commenter also said that what the department did was uncalled for after disclosing that the fugitive has a mental health condition.
Catching Criminals Online
This is not the first time officials have used the Internet to arrest fugitives. According to The Guardian, a 26-year-old criminal charged with bank fraud was ultimately apprehended after officers discovered his Facebook posts boasting about his paradise lifestyle.
Meanwhile, an Italian mafia fugitive was nabbed in the Dominican Republic after authorities discovered he had started a cooking show on YouTube.
But besides waiting for these fugitives to surface themselves on the web, police worldwide are using social networks, psychological tactics, and TV programs to make the hunt easier.
The world's largest social networking site immediately calls law-enforcement agencies after it finds and flags users who use its accounts for potential criminal activities.
