08/14/2026
โ๏ธPRESS RELEASEโ๏ธ
On August 7, 2026, at approximately 6:30 a.m., Howell County Sheriffโs Office deputies received information regarding the whereabouts of wanted felon Brad Freiman, who had outstanding felony warrants for his arrest for possession of a controlled substance.
Deputies responded to the area of County Road 3490 in Peace Valley, where they located a vehicle along the roadway and made contact with Russell Killion, a known associate of Freiman, who was walking nearby.
Based on the circumstances and information available to deputies, it was suspected that Freiman had been in the area and fled on foot when deputies arrived. Killion denied knowing Freimanโs whereabouts and was released from the scene.
Deputies then began an extensive search of the surrounding rural area, utilizing both deputies on foot and the Howell County Sheriffโs Office drone.
During the search, the Sheriffโs Office received a telephone call from a male subject who wished to remain anonymous. The caller reported that he had just seen Freiman at a gas station in Pomona. The information was relayed to Lieutenant Smith, who immediately suspected the report was an attempt to misdirect deputies away from the area where Freiman was believed to be hiding.
Rather than abandoning the search, Lieutenant Smith decided to use a little creativity.
Lieutenant Smith began making announcements over his patrol vehicleโs public address system, advising Freiman that a K9 unit was on scene and that he would likely be bitten by a police K9 if he did not surrender.
Lieutenant Smith then added an unconventional component to the announcement, making his best attempt at barking over the patrol vehicleโs PA system in an effort to convince Freiman that a K9 was actively searching the area.
The tactic worked!
Within moments, Freiman emerged from a concealed position in a brush-covered field and surrendered to nearby deputies. Freiman later told deputies that he did not want to get bitten by a K9.
Freiman was taken into custody and transported to the Howell County Jail, where he was booked on his outstanding felony warrant.
Following Freimanโs arrest, Howell County Sheriffโs Office investigators conducted an investigation into the anonymous telephone call that had attempted to redirect deputies away from the area. Investigators determined that the caller was Russell Killion, who had been contacted by deputies earlier that morning.
A probable cause statement was submitted to the Howell County Prosecuting Attorneyโs Office, and an arrest warrant was subsequently issued for Killion for Hindering Prosecution for a Felony.
On August 12, 2026, Killion was arrested in Peace Valley on the warrant and transported to the Howell County Jail.
Sheriff Matt Roberts commended the deputies involved in the incident for their persistence and willingness to think outside the box to safely locate and apprehend Freiman.
โSometimes police work requires more than just following the playbook,โ Sheriff Roberts said. โOur deputies recognized that something wasn't right, stayed focused on the original objective, and refused to be pulled away by what they believed was a false lead. Lieutenant Smith's unconventional K9 impression may have been the strangest part of the operation, but it worked. Most importantly, our deputies got a wanted felon into custody safely.โ
The Howell County Sheriffโs Office would like to remind the public that intentionally providing false information to law enforcement or attempting to interfere with an investigation can result in criminal charges.
*All subjects are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.*
