Law Enforcement

■ June 15 - A traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle observed swerving through the lanes while traveling southbound on STH 13 in Colby. At an intersection, the vehicle exited the lane to its right, hit the curb, then swerved into the other lane, before correcting into its original lane. The officer met with the driver, who said they had not been paying attention, as they had been on their phone. The driver said they did not have insurance due to having just bought the vehicle. They advised the officer that they had just received a citation from Spencer PD the day before for operating without a driver’s license. The driver showed the officer the citation.

While speaking with the driver, the officer observed them to have bloodshot, glossy eyes, and could detect a strong odor of alcohol emanating from the vehicle. The driver said they were coming from a bar in Colby, and were heading home to Unity. The driver said they had six beers, and had stopped drinking about 10 minutes prior to police contact. The driver agreed to do field sobriety test and a preliminary breath test, the result of which was a 0.184 blood-alcohol concentration.

The driver was placed under arrest for operating while under the influence (1st). They were transported to the police station and issued citations for operating while under the influence, and operating with a prohibited alcohol content (1st).

■ June 16 - An officer met with an individual at the police station who wished to report a crash that occurred on the morning of June 13. The individual said they were traveling north on STH 13 near the Hwy 29 overpass when another vehicle traveling south on STH 13 turned left in front of them to enter Hwy 29 westbound. The individual said the vehicle turned in front of them at the last minute, and they struck the vehicle near the passenger side taillight. The individual then pulled into a business located near the intersection to make contact with the driver of the other vehicle. The other vehicle did not stop and continued on. The individual believed the vehicle to have been a white SUV.

The officer asked why the complainant had not immediately called law enforcement. The complainant said they were in a rush and did not think to call as the other vehicle left the scene. The officer reviewed camera footage of the intersection during the time that the crash was reported to have taken place. The footage showed the roadway just to the north of the intersection. The officer understood that, at the time of the crash, the turning lane of travel had a yellow flashing yield signal for vehicles turning onto Hwy 29 traffic, which indicated to the officer that the complainant had the right of way through a green traffic signal.

■ June 17 - A Colby resident reported a restraining order violation against an individual that had attempted to contact them on two recent occasions. The complainant said they had received a call from an unfamiliar number. They answered the call and recognized the voice as belonging to the individual with restraining order. The complainant said the restraining order had conditions of no contact. They provided the officer with an official copy of the Clark County injunction. The officer observed the injunction to be in effect until June 5, 2035. The complainant said they had already blocked the number. They also said they were terrified of the individual. The officer advised them to call law enforcement if the individual attempts to contact them again.

■ June 18 - A welfare check was conducted on an individual residing in Abbotsford. The officer was told by the person’s relative that the individual’s residence was flooded and the individual was getting evicted sometime in July. The relative also said the individual had fallen while on a sidewalk, and had soiled themself while out to dinner. The relative said they did not feel that the individual could take care of themself or live alone anymore. The relative had been in contact with Clark County Social Services about the individual, but it did not seem like they had any plan for the individual.

The officer was let into the residence by the relative. The officer observed the residence to have a strange smell and it was seemingly wet inside. The bathroom was also in an unsanitary condition. The individual was located sitting on a recliner in the living room. The officer observed their legs to be swollen and feet to be bruised.

The officer asked the individual what was going on. The individual did not answer their question and talked about their spouse that died several years ago. The officer asked if the individual could walk to the bathroom with their swollen feet. The individual hesitated to answer the question, and then said they could if they needed to. The relative touched one of the individual’s legs, which incited a pain response. Based on this response, the officer said they doubted that the individual was able to walk to the bathroom on their own. The relative then informed the officer that it was hard to breath inside of the residence. The individual denied that it was hard to breath, as they put Vapo Rub up their nose.

The officer contacted Northwest Connections and informed them of the conditions of the individual and their residence. The officer said they did not believe that the individual should be inside of the residence due to unsanitary conditions and the fact that the individual could not get up out of their recliner to use the bathroom. A representative said they would contact their supervisor for possibly placing an emergency protective order on the individual. The relative also informed the representative that the individual had soiled themself while in the recliner and needed assistance in cleaning themself up.

The relative transported the individual to the medical center in Marshfield. The officer was advised by Northwest Connections that there would not be an emergency protective placement put on the individual. The officer was advised that the individual should be checked out at the hospital, and that the hospital staff should call Northwest Connections for an evaluation. The officer also contacted Clark County Social Services to make them aware of the situation.

■ June 19 - An officer was informed of a dog running loose in Colby. The dog was brought to the police station and checked for a microchip. A microchip was found but the number was never registered to an owner. The dog was taken to the Abbotsford kennel. The owner later called, and the dog was released back to them.

■ June 19 - An officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in Colby. The registered owner had a warrant through Clark County, with a bond of $50. The driver was identified as the registered owner and was informed of the warrant. The driver said they had $50 on them and would be able to post bond. The driver was placed under arrest and transported to the police station, where the driver gave the officer a $50 bill and was released. The driver was then issued a citation for operating without a valid license.

■ June 19 - An officer received a dogat- large complaint at a park in Abbotsford. The officer recognized the dog from previous law enforcement contacts and returned it to its owner’s residence. The owner received a citation for permitting an animal to run at large.

■ June 19 - An officer observed a vehicle completely stopped on STH 13 in Colby, with its hazard lights on. The officer stopped and met with the driver, who said they had witnessed a crash and were attempting to call law enforcement. The officer observed a median sign lying in front of the vehicle.

The driver said a white vehicle traveling northbound on STH 13 struck the sign and drove off. The passenger said they had witnessed the same thing, and it had just happened. They said the white sedan had continued to travel north on STH 13. They advised that the vehicle might have front driver-side damage. The officer shared the information with other officers on duty in case they came across the vehicle.

■ June 22 - An officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle observed disregarding a stop sign near an intersection of STH 13 in Abbotsford, and then driving onto the curb as it turned southbound onto STH 13. The vehicle then rapidly accelerated. Another officer was able to follow the vehicle to an address in Abbotsford. Upon arrival at the address, the officer observed an individual standing outside of the vehicle in the driveway. The individual said they were driving the vehicle, but claimed it was approximately ten minutes ago. While speaking with the driver, the officer could smell alcohol. The officer also saw an open beer can in the cupholder. The driver was advised of why they were stopped. The driver denied doing what the officer observed. The officer asked how much beer they had to drink. The driver initially stated none, then changed their answer to three. The driver said they were drinking at the house. The residents inside the garage of the house advised that the driver had been drinking with them, and then got into the vehicle and drove erratically.

The driver agreed to do field sobriety tests as well as a preliminary breath test, but they did not provide an adequate breath sample. The driver was placed under arrest for operating under the influence. The officer was aware that the driver had a pending drunk driving charge. The driver was transported to the police station and consented to an evidentiary chemical test of their breath. The driver received citations for OWI (1st), failure to stop at stop sign, operating without a valid license, keeping open intoxicants in vehicle, and operating with with a prohibited blood-alcohol level.