Law Enforcement

■ May 18 - An officer responded to a complaint of a black lab running loose in Abbotsford. The officer checked the reported area but was unable to locate the dog. The officer was later informed that the dog had been caught by a nearby resident. The dog was tied up in the yard and the resident wanted it picked up.

The officer recognized the dog from various other law enforcement contacts. The officer took the dog back to its owner’s residence. The officer met with the owner and asked if they had a missing dog. The owner confirmed they were looking for their dog but couldn’t find it. The owner said they had called the police department, but no one answered. The officer returned the dog and advised that they would be receiving a citation for permitting an animal to run at large, just as they have the previous nine times.

■ May 18 - An officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling 62 mph in a posted 45 mph zone in Colby. Before the officer exited their patrol vehicle, they saw the driver jump from the driver’s seat to the front passenger seat and then back into the driver’s seat. The officer met with the driver and asked why they had jumped into the passenger’s seat. A passenger in the back seat said the driver wanted them to jump into the driver’s seat when the driver moved into the passenger seat, but the passenger told the driver they didn’t want to get in trouble.

The driver’s information came back with a revoked driver’s license due to alcohol, a 0.02 blood-alcohol restriction and two prior drunk driving convictions. The officer asked the driver how much they had to drink as they could smell alcohol on their breath, and their eyes were glassy. The driver said they had six beers. The driver agreed to do field sobriety tests as well as a preliminary breath test, the result of which was a 0.22 blood-alcohol level.

The driver was placed under arrest for operating while under the influence (third). They received citations for operating while under the influence (third), operating w/pac (third), operating while revoked, speeding on a city highway (15-19 mph).

■ May 18 - A traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle in Colby traveling southbound on STH 13 with no headlights on. The officer met with the driver and explained the reason for the stop. The driver said they had forgotten to turn their lights on. The driver said they did not have proof of insurance in the vehicle, which belonged to their friend. The driver’s information came back as having a suspended license.

The officer could smell alcohol emanating from the vehicle and observed the driver to have glossy/bloodshot eyes. The driver said they had two beers within the last half hour. The driver agreed to do field sobriety tests. A search of their person was conducted and a dollar bill with a white crystallized substance folded into it was located in their wallet. The driver identified the substance as meth.

The driver submitted to a preliminary breath test, the result of which was a bloodalcohol level of 0.097. The driver was placed under arrest for operating while under the influence (first). The substance was tested and came back positive for methamphetamine. The driver was transported to the Clark County Jail and received citations for operating while under the influence (first), operating while suspended, and operating with a a prohibited alcohol content (first).

■ May 19 - An officer received a report of an assault at a Colby residence. The individual was bleeding from the leg, but denied EMS assistance.Their pants appeared to have been cut.

The individual said they had come out of of their house to let their dogs out. They tripped down the stairs and were attacked by a male with a grilling utensil. The complainant said the assailant slashed their leg before fleeing on foot. The complainant said they did not get a good look at the assailant. The complainant led the officer to the grill and showed the officer the utensil on the ground near the stairs.

The complainant had a hard time remembering where the event actually happened. The officer took photos of the utensil as well as the complainant’s leg. The officer noticed that the blood on their leg had thickened and did not appear to have happened minutes before as reported. The officer asked the complainant to clean the wound up to see what the cuts looked like. The officer observed there to be about 12 to 16 shallow cuts all running the same direction. The officer believed the wounds to be self inflicted.

The officer asked the complainant if they were doing okay with things in their life. The complainant said they had been diagnosed with brain cancer a few weeks ago and had surgery for it to be removed. The officer asked if the complainant was suicidal or had thoughts of self-harm. The complainant said they did initially after receiving the cancer diagnosis, but not recently. The individual denied the wounds were self-inflicted.

The officer was advised by dispatch that the complainant had an active Marathon County warrant with a $300 bond. The complainant was transported to the police station where they posted the bond. They were issued a new court date and released.

An hour later, the officer met with the complainant’s romantic partner and a family member at the station. The family member expressed concern for the complainant’s mental health. The family member said the complainant was bipolar and had issues with lying and manipulating. The family member expressed concern about the self harm and was afraid the complainant would show up at their apartment. The officer advised the family member to call the police if the complainant showed up at their residence.

Later that day, the complainant’s niece came to the station with concerns. The niece said she had recently been up all night with the complainant, who would go in and out of consciousness and was foaming at the mouth. The niece believed they had been drinking alcohol. Before law enforcement had arrived that morning, she was awoken by the complainant arguing with their significant other. The shouting became louder, and the niece heard the significant other tell the individual to “stop waving that gun around.” The niece walked into the living room and the argument stopped.

The niece said the complainant had turned the gun into the police shortly after the argument. The officer confirmed that the gun was in police custody. The niece said the complainant was now claiming that their gun had been stolen. The niece also mentioned the marks on the individual’s leg, which she also believed to be self-inflicted. The officer said a welfare check would be conducted and a crisis center would be contacted.

An officer met with the complainant who said they had taken care of everything and no longer wanted law enforcement’s help. The complainant would not elaborate on what they meant by taking care of everything and declined having their wounds checked out. The officer then spoke with the niece and asked if she had any other concerns regarding the complainant that had not already been shared. The niece said no and advised that the complainant had been sleeping all day.

The officer asked the complainant if they had been feeling depressed lately. The complainant said they were after recently being diagnosed with brain cancer. The complainant denied having thoughts of self-harm or suicide. The officer contact North Central Health Care and informed the staff of the complainant’s actions in the last couple days and the family’s concerns. The officer was told that if the family had real concerns for the individual’s safety, they should have a voluntary assessment done. It was also advised that sharp items should be locked away. The niece said she would try to get the complainant to do a voluntary assessment.

On May 21, officers were contacted by the niece regarding messages the complainant had sent to friends and family members regarding a suicide attempt. The niece said things were getting worse and something needed to be done. A second welfare check was conducted, and the individual said they had tried to kill themself that morning by taking a handful of pills, but ended up throwing them back up. The individual said they took eight pills, which were prescribed to help them to relax and sleep. The individual said they hadn’t done anything else besides take the pills. They told the officer that they did not want to live, but had been talking with their friend who was coming over to be with them. The individual said they did want to go to the hospital for help because they did not want to get locked up.

The officer called North Central Health Care to advise them of the new information. The individual was reluctant to speak with the officers present and requested privacy. After the individual was done speaking with the NCHC representative, the officer was advised that they believed the individual was doing much better as they were talking with family and friends. The individual said they made a mistake and did not want to die. The NCHC rep advised that they would speak with the friend to get their thoughts about the individual’s recent behavior.

While waiting for a call back, the individual’s behavior changed. They became distrustful of the officer and physically reacted to the officer speaking. The individual repeatedly asked the officer to leave or do something else. The officer waited approximately 30 minutes with no call back. Knowing that the friend would be coming to the residence to be with the individual, the officer cleared the scene.

Upon clearing, the officer received a call back and was informed that the NCHC rep was not confident that the individual would be safe on their own. The officer was advised that an emergency detention would be authorized. The individual was then taken into custody.

■ May 19 - An officer was dispatched to an Abbotsford residence for a disturbance between a mother and daughter, who the officer recognized from previous law enforcement contacts. The officer met with the daughter, who said she had gotten into a verbal argument with her mother while she and her three children were inside the mother’s residence next door. The mother yelled at the daughter’s children, which caused the daughter to yell back.

During the argument, the daughter said she attempted to gather her children to leave. One of the children was holding onto the door frame and the door ended up shutting on their hand. The officer observed the child’s hands to be red and swollen. The officer advised the daughter to stay away from her mother and not interact with her until their emotions had calmed down. The officer informed her that she would be receiving a citation for disorderly conduct.

The officer then spoke with the mother, who said her daughter’s children were acting up inside of her residence and the daughter had yelled at everyone to be quiet. The mother said they were in her apartment, and she felt disrespected. She said they got into an argument and began yelling at each other. She believed that the child’s hand was hit by a closing door, but said it was an accident. The officer spoke with the mother for several minutes regarding her and the daughter’s behavior and advised her that she would also be receiving a citation for disorderly conduct.

■ May 20 - An officer responded to a report of an assault at a store in Abbotsford. The officer reviewed security footage of the incident. The complainant is seen placing a metal shopping basket onto the checkout counter. A male individual is waiting in line behind the complainant The complainant shifts to the credit card reader while the cashier takes the items out of the basket. As the cashier takes the last item out of the basket, the male grabs the basket. He swings the basket toward the complainant, striking the divider that separates the customers from the cashier. The basket came within inches of striking the complainant in the face, which caused them to lean backwards. The male then steps away from the complainant and appears to say something to them.

A look of shock can be seen on both the complainant and the cashier as the complainant pays for their items and leaves. The male checks out and leaves the store shortly after the complainant. The male is seen getting into a vehicle and displaying his middle finger in the direction the complainant is believed to be parked in.

The complainant’s description of the incident matched what appeared in the video. The complainant wasn’t sure what the man said to them after swinging the basket. The complainant said the male continued to yell at them for several seconds after they walked out of the store. The complainant said they had never seen the man before and did not know why he treated them that way. The complainant was visibly shaken and crying while explaining the incident.

The officer drove to a business matching the name on the male’s jacket and located his vehicle. The officer met with the man, who was dismissive of the complaint. He said he always takes his basket off the counter and told the “brown” to put their basket away. Based on the male’s further statements, his actions appeared to be racially and politically motivated. The officer advised the male that he would be getting a citation for disorderly conduct. The officer then contacted the complainant and informed them of their findings. They were advised to contact the police if any other issues arose with the male.