Leland Chapman
| Leland Blaine Chapman | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 14, 1976 Groom, Texas United States |
| Occupation |
Bounty hunter Bail bondsman Television personality Boxer |
| Years active | 2004-present |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | |
| http://lelandbchapman.com | |
Leland Blaine Chapman Born December 14, 1976 (37) in Groom, Texas , is an American bail bondsman and bounty hunter. His athletic interests as a boxer, kick boxer, and participant in extreme boxing and mixed martial arts have aided him in his work alongside his father, Duane "Dog" Chapman, family, and family friends. His visibility with his family team shot upward as the family business became subjects of a reality show, on A&E TV's Dog the Bounty Hunter. He currently stars in the television documentary program Dog and Beth: On the Hunt.[1]
Early years
Leland Blaine Chapman was born the third son of Duane Chapman Sr. and his first wife, La Fonda Sue Darnall (née Honeycutt). When Chapman was 7 months old, his father was sent to prison. During Duane Chapman's incarceration, Chapman's parents divorced. He was unable to see his father again until he was eight years old, when the elder Chapman gained visitation rights to see him and his brother, Duane Lee. Until then, Chapman had believed that his stepfather was his biological father.
Chapman spent his early years in Pampa, Texas, but during his teen years, moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado. As a teenager Chapman ran away from home and began skipping school. Unable to handle him any longer, his mother put him into foster care, where he was placed in a boys' care home. At thirteen, Chapman was given the option to go back into foster care or go to live with his father; he chose to live with his father.
Chapman graduated high school in June 1994, the only one among his brothers and sisters to have graduated from high school.
At seventeen, Chapman began training in boxing and mixed martial arts with the help of his good friend, Sonny Westbrook (who has appeared many times on Dog the Bounty Hunter). In 2003 Chapman gave up competing in boxing, kickboxing and Extreme Boxing after injuring his left knee, as he was told after surgery that he could never fight again, or else he risked the loss of use of his leg. During early filming of Dog The Bounty Hunter, he can be seen wearing a knee brace after he had spent 4 months off his feet.
Career
Chapman started out working for his father at their family's bail bonds company, Da Kine Bail Bonds. Other family members working for the company include Beth Chapman (née Smith; Dog's current wife), Duane Lee Chapman Leland, and "Baby" Lyssa Chapman (Dog's daughter/Leland's half-sister), among others. On September 14, 2006, Leland Chapman was arrested along with Duane "Dog" Chapman and Tim Chapman by U.S. Marshals at the request of the Mexican government and was to be extradited to Mexico to face charges of "deprivation of liberty". The charges stem from an incident in which they were chasing fugitive and serial rapist Andrew Luster, the Max Factor Cosmetics heir. They captured Luster on June 18, 2003 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Shortly after the capture, the three were themselves arrested by Puerto Vallarta police officers; the three posted bail but never returned to Mexico for their court hearing on July 15, 2003.[2] They were released from custody on bail; Leland and Tim Chapman's bail was set at $100,000 each, while Dog's was set at $300,000. They faced an extradition hearing to Mexico, under the terms of treaties between the United States and Mexico.[3] On the August 4, 2007 episode of Larry King Live, it was announced that the Mexican government had dropped the charges filed against the three bounty hunters.
Leland, along with his brothers, Duane Lee and Wesley Chapman formed Chapbros Media. The company launched an iPhone, iPod Touch and website talent contest application called, "Show Off".[4] The company is no longer in business.
In 2011 it was rumored Duane Lee and Leland quit the show.[5] The March 21, 2012 episode showed Duane Lee telling Beth “You want me fired, you gotta fire me," and then Leland weighed in, saying “I quit too.”[6] In 2012, the two brothers admitted leaving the show.[6] In a tweet from Beth she wrote, "It will take 6 weeks to get thru the whole thing tonight's jus [sic] the beginning".[6]
Since leaving the show Leland Chapman operates his own Bail Bond Company on the Big Island of Hawaii and heads Bounty Hunter Tactical Supply Co.[7] while Duane Lee moved to Florida.[7]
Chapman has 3 children: Dakota Chapman, Cobie Blane Chapman,and Leiah Breanna Chapman.
References
- ↑ Bibel, Sara. "'Dog And Beth: On The Hunt' to Premiere Sunday, April 21 on CMT". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ↑ "'Dog' collared for jumping bail in Mexico". CNN. September 15, 2006. Retrieved 2006-09-21.
- ↑ Kobayashi, Ken; Lum, Curtis (September 16, 2006). "'Dog' freed on bail, says he'll be cleared". Honolulu Advertiser.
- ↑ "Chapbros Media Webpage".
- ↑ http://entertainment.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981071574.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "'Dog The Bounty Hunter': Did Leland And Duane Lee Quit The Business, Or Were They Fired?". Huffington Post. 03/22/2012. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Duane Lee Chapman, Leland Chapman, Leave Dog the Bounty Hunter". LALate.com. March 21st, 2012. Retrieved 2012-03-24.