Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office Deputy Brad Williams foiled a burglary in progress late in the evening of Aug. 10.

Williams, a Bogalusa businessman who serves as a reserve deputy with the Sheriff’s Office, was returning home after attending a training event at the law enforcement academy in Slidell. While traveling on Louisiana Highway 21 back to Bogalusa at approximately 10:15 p.m., officer Williams observed lights coming from behind a closed business.

Williams radioed for assistance of other officers and then went to the rear of the building where he discovered Harley David Atkinson, 30, a resident of Plum Nearly Road, allegedly in the process of taking items out of the building and placing them in his vehicle. Williams took Atkinson into custody. Other officers soon arrived. Atkinson was arrested and placed in the Washington Parish Jail. Atkinson was released Thursday after posting at $10,000 bond.

Atkinson confessed that he had taken items from the closed business on two other occasions and had sold them at a local recycling business.

“Thanks to an alert officer, this burglar is now behind bars,” said Sheriff Randy Seal. “Whether on or off duty, our officers are constantly on the lookout for criminal activity. I can’t say enough about the wonderful people who work for the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office. I appreciate them for the good job they do and am grateful to their families for allowing them to go out in our communities each day to serve and protect all of us.”