A man in Edmonds allegedly broke into a motel room last week through a window. He severely cut his arm on the window's broken glass as he entered, but continued to gather items to steal. After realizing his arm needed medical attention, he walked to a nearby convenience store and asked for help.

Police responded to the medical emergency call and arrived at the convenience store as other officers were called to the motel where a manager had reported suspicious activity. The officers at the motel found large amounts of fresh blood in the motel room which appeared to have been the site of a burglary.

A K-9 unit found the suspected burglar in the convenience store after tracking his movement from the motel. With the help of a police dog, officers found stolen items from the motel between the two locations. The man received medical treatment for his arm and was arrested for burglary and taken to jail.

The media reports that the police "put two and two together" in this case by assuming that the man with the bleeding arm received his cut while breaking into the motel room.

Assumptions like this can be very dangerous for suspected criminals. If a suspect does not get the chance to tell the facts of his or her story, police or media assumptions can cloud the truth. Every suspect deserves to have the truth revealed. It is important for the defendant to have a skilled representative present a strong defense with facts instead of assumptions.

Source: Edmonds Patch, "Suspected burglar cuts his arm, calls 911 and is treated and arrested," Aug. 9, 2012