Oakland Police Nab Fugitive
Joe Exson
By David Howell
Editor
OAKLAND – Oakland Police Chief Russ Smith reported his department captured a fugitive wanted out of Tennessee. Smith said Joe Exson was arrested last Wednesday morning without incident and was held in the Yalobusha County Detention Center prior to being extradited to Tennessee.
Exson was listed on Fox 13 News Mid-South’s Most Wanted a week prior to his arrest. According to the wanted list, Exson faces a barrage of charges including domestic assault – bodily harm (two counts), aggravated assault and violation of probation (four counts).
“I started receiving calls that he was in the Oakland area after his case was on the Memphis news,” Smith explained. The reports were confirmed when video surveillance from Dollar General in Oakland pictured Exson allegedly stealing from the store, resulting in an additional charge.
Smith told the Herald that Exson is from the Oakland area and he was out looking for the fugitive Wednesday morning when he spotted him in the passenger seat of a vehicle. The chief radioed another Oakland officer to assist and the traffic stop was not problematic.
“He said, ‘what have I done now,’” Smith said as Exson was apprehended. The chief also said that Exson is well known by local law enforcement officers and had eluded authorities several times in recent weeks.
