Flamingo 'suspects' caught on tape
<p>Officer J.D. Putnam releases Megan Spradlin, left and Alexus Holbert from handcuffs after a posed photo following the Post Falls High School dance team’s flocking of the Post Falls Police Department.</p>
POST FALLS - It wasn't the Pink Panther that appeared near the Post Falls police station on Thursday night, but pink flamingos instead.
And the "suspects" who placed the birds there - harmless members of the Post Falls High dance team trying to raise funds for their program, who felt comfortable enough to have fun with their police department - were caught on tape.
The police department, not to be denied from having fun itself, posted a video on its Facebook page on Friday showing two female "suspects" planting the pink birds near the front door of the station at 8:21 p.m. Thursday and running from the scene.
"We have been flocked!" the PFPD Facebook page states.
Friends, including one of the apparent "suspects," commented on the incident by liking the post.
"I didn't think I would be on (the video)," Megan Spradlin posted. "Oh my; ha-ha. Yay me."
Amanda Haines-Pecor added: "And to think you guys had to take a report on someone putting them in someone else's yard last week. Gotta love living in Post Falls."
Chief Scot Haug on Friday said police employees planned to donate $100 to the program - from their own pockets and not with city funds. PFPD also solicited nominations from Facebook friends on where the pink flamingos should land next.
Nominations included local businesses, other law enforcement agencies, other city offices and departments, city council members and nonprofits.
The police department's good friends at Kootenai County Fire and Rescue nominated PFPD as their target for the dance team's fundraiser.
"The flock has threatened to stay where they are until we fork up $20 for the benefit of the Post Falls High School dance team," the PFPD Facebook page states. "We have been given the option of sponsoring another business or person for the flock to move to ... will you be next?"
Haug said it's nice to know the public feels OK with having some fun with its police department - and that it can take some in return.
"This is the kind of relationship that we want to have with the public," Haug said. "It's all about building relationships. We're just normal people, too."
He said he wants his department to help restore the term "peace officer" in light of the negative heavy-handed type of publicity that has struck some departments nationwide.