Phi Mu Alpha Leads to Capture of Fugitive
Fraternity breaks up incident that leads to capture of fugitive
BY RYAN GARRETT/REGISTER NEWS WRITER
The yelling got their attention, but the threat of physical
harm sent them into action.
Members of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia's Omicron Psi chapter, a
music fraternity at Eastern Kentucky University, were grilling
hamburgers Wednesday at the new shelter in Lake Reba Recreational Complex when things started getting loud in the parking lot.
"It started off with just yelling, but after that it kind of evolved
into the guy basically assaulting this girl," said Jim Koehler, chapter president.
James Russell Anderson, 39, of Richmond was standing next
to a car arguing with a female who was in the driver's seat, and
began pulling the female by her arm. Eventually, Anderson put her in a headlock that shook the car, Koehler said.
That was when the fraternity brothers decided they had seen
enough.
"Everybody that we had there followed me. It was probably
20 something guys," Koehler said.
After being confronted, Anderson tried to plead his case to
the enraged members and eventually stormed off on foot, Koehler said.
"The girl was very hysterical," said Richard Crosby, national president and provincial governor of the fraternity. "Her mother was in the back seat kind of in shock."
A park employee making his rounds stopped to see what was
going on and called Richmond police after fraternity members explained the situation.
Police found Anderson still nearby in the park. When they
checked his background, it turned up that there was a Madison District Court warrant from March 11 out for his arrest for theft by deception.
The incident brought out the best in the fraternity, said Crosby, who is also a music professor at EKU.
"Our founder was all about building moral and upright men,
and that came out (Wednesday) night," Crosby said.
Koehler said he was proud he and the rest of the fraternity
had defended the female.
"It felt really good having all the guys back me up when I
was talking to (Anderson)," he said. "I felt like I was 30 feet tall."
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