Police arrest man seen dangling from pole

Some Kokomo residents came home Tuesday night to find their neighbour dangling from a telephone pole in an alley. He was screaming for help.

Neighbour Amber Gredis said she didn't know what to think. "I came home and saw him dangling there," she said. "He was yelling for help, saying he couldn't breathe."

Another neighbour called 911 just before 9:30 p.m., though Gredis said the man, David Long, was begging her not to call. A slew of police officers, medical personnel and firefighters turned out due to the unusual nature of the call from dispatch.

Kokomo Police Sgt. Bruce Rood said Long had used shoe spikes to climb the pole over 20 feet when he become stuck. When authorities arrived, Long was hanging from the climbing strap he had around his waist. Kokomo firefighters used a ladder to reach Long and had to cut the strap to get him down.

It turns out Long is wanted on two warrants: One is a body attachment warrant and the other for failure to appear on a driving while suspended charge.

Rood said police are investigating a rash of copper wiring thefts from telephone poles in the immediate area. Long was arrested after the incident on the two outstanding warrants, as police continue to investigate why Long had scaled the pole. From the back seat of a squad car, Long said he was being wrongfully accused. He said he was just trying out his new shoe spikes.