Clarksville Police arrest 2 suspected copper thieves after pursuit into Louisville

CLARKSVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- Police in Clarksville arrested two men suspected of stealing copper from local businesses in southern Indiana.

According to police, Clinton Woosley, 49, and Jonathan Collins, 37, were arrested this week after Clarksville officers pursued them into Louisville. The arrests were announced in a post on the Clarksville Police Department's Facebook page.

The post said the men are accused of being responsible for the theft of "a large amount of copper and wiring" stolen from local businesses, which resulted in damage in excess of $500,000.

Clarksville Det. Justice Kraft told WDRB that investigators recently received reports of copper thefts in town.

"This all came from a prior incident that we were made aware of last week," Kraft said. "We had numerous copper thefts in the area, specifically the Lewis and Clark area, at multiple businesses that are vacant."

Kraft said the area police went to is off Lewis and Clark Parkway, where Hobby Lobby and Harbor Freight used to be. He said the Town of Clarksville owns the property.

"We got that report last week, we put an email out to the patrol division to let them know what was going on in the area, and night before last, they came into contact with some individuals that were in the area," said Kraft.

According to Kraft, officers set up a perimeter after "finding some suspicious items in and around the area. And then, once they tried to stop the subjects in the vehicle that they were in, they decided to flee and the pursuit proceeded over into Louisville where they crashed and then fled on foot, where officers were able to catch them."

Kraft said police do not know yet if this case could be connected to other copper thefts around the Kentuckiana area. Earlier this year, KYTC shared information about thefts from light poles along interstates in Louisville, which have resulted in more than $1 million in repairs since 2020, darkening highways and severely limiting nighttime visibility for drivers.

"The investigation is still open, it's still ongoing. So, this may be tied to some cases over in Louisville. We're not sure at this point yet," explained Kraft.

Kraft urged businesses and homeowners to invest in surveillance cameras to help deter thieves from targeting them. To report any other suspicious activity, you can call the non-emergency phone number for Clarksville Police at 812-288-7151.

"Any arrests where this type of crime happens, it may not feel like it makes an impact, but it truly does because it can deter other individuals from not only stealing from businesses, but stealing from residents in our area and around the Kentuckiana area," said Kraft.

He praised the officers responsible for the arrests.

"... the fact that they were able to catch something significant like this so quickly just speaks to their hard work and they need to be recognized for that," he said.

Collins and Woosley are facing multiple charges, including burglary. Both were taken to the Clark County Jail.

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