Law Enforcement
■ April 9 - An officer met with a Colby resident who wished to report a restraining order violation. The complainant said the restraining order states that the individual is to avoid contacting the complainant, but an amendment to the order allows for communication regarding co-parenting of their child.
The individual had called the complainant but did not leave a voicemail. The individual is allowed to contact the complainant when they have custody of the child, which they did at the time of the call. The complainant messaged the individual back to see why they had called and if the child needed something. The individual did not respond.
■ April 9 - An officer observed a vehicle traveling west on Spruce Street in Abbotsford and noted that the registered owner came back as having no license issued and numerous arrest warrants. The officer pulled the vehicle over on North Bezak Drive. The officer recognized the driver from previous law enforcement contacts and asked if they had an ID. The driver said they did not, but the officer knew who they were. The officer had the driver write down their information. The officer learned that the driver had a revoked license due to an alcohol related offense.
As the officer was completing a citation for operating after revocation, a K9 unit conducted a free air sniff of the vehicle. The K9 alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from the vehicle. The officer had the driver exit the vehicle. A search of their person was done with nothing of evidentiary value located. The officer asked if the driver had any drugs in the vehicle. The driver stated they did not. A search of the vehicle uncovered a clear bag with a white crystalline substance. The officer showed the bag to the driver, who denied knowing what it was. The driver told the officer that they did not normally drive the car. The officer advised that the driver’s pay stubs were in the vehicle and they have been stopped driving this vehicle before. The driver stated that they did not know who the substance belonged to.
Since the traffic stop occurred on the street next to the police department, the officer was able to test the substance right away. The officer received a positive test result for methamphetamine. The driver was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and transported to the Clark County Jail. Their vehicle was moved into the police department’s parking lot.
■ April 9 - An officer received a theft complaint from an Abbotsford resident. The complainant said they were missing a green 22caliber pistol. The last time they saw the pistol was about two weeks ago. The complainant said they had the pistol in a black case underneath the center counsel of their pickup truck. The complainant estimated the cost of the pistol to be $350.
The officer asked if the complainant had any paperwork on the pistol or knew its serial number. The complainant stated they did not have paperwork, nor did they know the serial number. Due to there being no paperwork for it and no serial number available, the officer said it would be difficult to locate the pistol. The complainant said they understood and declined to fill out a written statement or lack of consent form.
■ April 9 - An officer took a fraudulent check complaint from an Abbotsford business. The complainant stated that on March 29, a payroll check in the amount of $972 was cashed at their business and was returned from the bank. The bank listed the check as “unable to locate.” The officer was provided with the check and a photocopy of the ID of the person who cashed it. The payroll check was from an alleged business in Appleton. The officer ran the individual’s Illinois driver’s license through Illinois and Wisconsin records, but did not get a return. The officer then ran the license number through Illinois, and it came back as not found. The officer sent a message to Outagamie County to check for a phone number for the alleged business, but did not get a response.
The officer used Google maps to locate the address that was printed on the check. The address came back to a shopping mall. Using street view, the officer was able to determine that the alleged business was not at that location. There was a phone number that an employee of the complainant had written on the photocopy of the ID card, which supposedly belonged to the individual’s boss. The officer called the number, but no one answered.
■ April 10 - An officer was dispatched to an Abbotsford residence in reference to a person with a gunshot injury. While en route, the officer was advised that Marathon County would be dispatched to the location and an ambulance would be staged at their station. The officer was aware from previous law enforcement contacts that the caller had been hallucinating.
The officer made contact with the caller on the sidewalk outside their residence. The officer knew that the caller would conceal weapons, and asked to check them for any weapons. The caller consented. No weapons were located. The caller said they were sitting in a parking lot south of their residence, and had heard someone saying, “call an ambulance.” As the caller was telling the officer this, they looked south and asked someone if they were okay. The officer did not observe anyone else to be in that area. The officer asked if the shooting was by the parking lot. The caller said it was.
The officer was aware that the caller’s father also lived at the residence. The officer asked if they had checked on their father. The caller said they did. The officer advised the caller to remain on their property while the officer looked around the area. The caller said they would not stay there and would do whatever they wanted. The officer said it was for their safety and did not want the caller to be in danger. The caller then walked up the driveway.
The officer observed a female at a neighboring property, who said she had not heard any yelling or screaming as reported by the caller. The officer then patrolled the area, but did not hear any yelling.
A Clark County deputy arrived on scene. The officer returned to the caller’s residence to get more information, but did not locate them there. The officer observed the caller across the street by an abandoned building. The officer asked the caller to come back, but the caller continued walking towards the wooded area behind the building.
The officer asked the caller several times to come speak with them. The caller continued walking, claiming there was a man yelling for help. The officer advised the caller that they did not hear any yelling. The caller then came back to the officer.
A sergeant arrived on scene and asked the caller what was happening. The caller stated that someone was screaming. The caller then pointed to the ground and stated that there was blood. No blood was observed. The caller became agitated when advised that no one was located in the area.
The caller told the sergeant that they had driven from their house to the parking lot, heard screaming, and then drove back north on STH 13 to the house to find out where the screaming was coming from. While the officers were speaking with the caller, the caller stated that they could still hear the screaming. The caller was asked if everyone was safe in the residence. The caller stated that they believed their father was safe.
Due to the caller’s behavior, the officers had the caller sit in the back of the squad car while they attempted to make contact with the father. The caller started to become agitated. They said they did not want to wake up their father, due to him being unable to walk well. The deputies were able to make contact with the father. The house and property were also searched.
The officer observed that the caller had dilated, glossy, bloodshot eyes, and slurred speech. The officer also observed a vehicle running with the driver’s side door open in the caller’s driveway. The officer asked if the caller would be willing to perform field sobriety tests. The caller said they were, but due to their behavior and resistance toward law enforcement during this incident, the test was not performed. The officer believed the caller to be under the influence.
The vehicle the caller had been driving had an expired registration. The officer observed a loaded revolver in the back of the vehicle near the center console. The revolver was confiscated and the caller was placed under arrest for operating while intoxicated (first offense). The caller was taken to the police station. They were unwilling to submit to an evidentiary chemical test of their blood. A warrant for the blood draw was acquired and the caller was then transported to the hospital in Neillsville for a blood draw. While en route, the caller said the person that was shot was a special agent who had been protecting the caller from people trying to kill them.
After the blood kit was completed, the caller was transported to the Clark County Jail. The caller received citations for operating while intoxicated and non-registration of vehicle. Charges of resisting an officer and endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon were also recommended.
■ April 11 - An officer took a theft complaint from an individual on behalf of an Abbotsford business. The complainant was made aware of three different thefts that occurred at a scrap copper storage bin at one of their properties. The thefts happened in the early morning hours of April 3, 9 and 10. The thefts were uncovered when an employee arrived early for work and found a truck parked near the storage bin and a man removing copper wire. The employee took pictures of the license plate and wrote down the truck’s VIN number while the male was inside the storage bin. The employee did not confront the male but told a supervisor.
The bin was away from the road and was unsecured. A white Dodge truck was observed on video during each instance, turning off its headlights while on the street before turning into the parking lot. The truck parked next to the bin, in a different position each time, and the same man got out. The man peered into the bin each time before pulling out random scrap wires and placing them in the bed of the truck. The male was seen leaving immediately after noticing the employee during the recent instance.
The vehicle’s license plate was linked to an individual from Stetsonville who had been deceased since 2024. The VIN came back to a 2014 Ram 1500, white in color, to an individual at the same address in Stetsonville. This vehicle matched the one in the video.
The suspect was not employed by the business and did not have permission to take any of the scrap copper. The scrap was valued to be about $1,000.
■ April 11 - An officer was informed by a passerby of an individual they saw drinking alcohol and playing loud music in a vehicle parked in a parking lot in Abbotsford. The officer went to the parking lot and observed the vehicle in question. The officer knocked on the driver’s side window and observed the driver to have a confused look. The driver started to roll down the back driver’s side window before stopping and rolling down the driver’s side window. The officer noticed a strong odor of alcohol in the vehicle.
The officer asked what the driver was doing in the parking lot. The driver stated they were waiting to receive an order for delivery. The officer observed an open can in the center console cup holder that appeared to have 8% alcohol volume printed on it.The officer asked to inspect the can. The driver started to reach toward the floorboard of the passenger seat. The officer asked what they were reaching for. The driver stopped. The officer asked for the driver’s ID. The driver stated it was in their pocket and began patting both the front and back of their jeans and jacket pocket. The driver stated they knew it was there, and then grabbed the license from the center console.
The officer asked the driver to hand them the can in the cup holder. The can still had a small amount of liquid inside and was identified as an alcoholic malt beverage. The officer asked how many alcoholic beverages the driver had drunk. The driver said three. The driver said they had driven from Athens to Abbotsford and had been parked at the location for about an hour. The driver said they had started drinking about half an hour earlier. The officer asked if they had been drinking in the parking lot. The driver stated no. They said they had been delivering since they got there an hour ago and had started drinking 20 minutes ago. The officer asked where the other cans were. The driver stated they threw them away at a gas station. The officer asked if the driver had been drinking while driving. The driver said they were.
The officer asked what the driver’s plan was for tonight. The driver said they were planning on making one more delivery before going home. The driver agreed to do a preliminary breath test, the result of which was a 0.192 blood-alcohol level. The driver then admitted to having three shots while in the parking lot of the gas station. The driver was placed under arrest for operating while under the influence (first offense). The driver was taken to the police station, and a search of the vehicle was conducted. Numerous mini alcoholic shots were found, along with cannabis edibles, a vape that appeared to be empty, and two cartridges with a thick, brown residue. The driver received citations for operating while under the influence (1st), possessing open intoxicants in a motor vehicle - driver, and operating with a prohibited alcohol content.
