Law Enforcement
_ July 27 - An officer was dispatched to a Colby residence in reference to a juvenile disturbance after a woman called to report her son had attacked her and then left the residence. The officer met the complainant, who said she came home to discover her son had broken a window out of their front door. She said she asked him what happened, and her son continued to be aggressive. She described him as being in a fit of rage and telling her to shut up. She said her son started pushing her, so she pushed back, and he grabbed her hands and pushed her onto a couch. She said a ring on her finger injured her, causing it to swell. After her son left the house, she dialed 911.
While the officer was talking with the complainant, the son returned to the scene. He was crying and had to sit for awhile before he was able to breathe well enough to talk. The son said he had gotten into an argument with his girlfriend earlier in the day, which caused him to accidentally break the window while forcefully opening the door. He admitted to yelling at his mother and pushing her. He blamed his parents’ abusive behavior towards each other for the way he was. The officer called social services and also arranged for the son to stay with his brother in Wausau for the night.
_ Aug. 2 - An officer took a report of a dog bite from a local mail carrier. The carrier said he had walked up to the front door of a house in Colby, and the dog was laying nearby. He dropped a package off, and as he was walking back to his vehicle, the dog ran at him and bit him on the right leg just above the knee. The complainant said the bite did not rip through his blue jeans, but it left an abrasion on his knee. He did not seek any medical attention.
The officer went to the dog owner’s house and spoke with a man who provided a phone number for the owner. The owner said the dog was vaccinated, and the officer told her about the quarantine rules following dog bites. The owner said she would stop by the police station to show officers proof of vaccination and pick up an animal bite form. The officer met with the owner, gave paperwork and explained what she needed to do for the quarantine. The owner said they were working on putting up a big fence in the backyard so the dog could not get out. The officer warned her that another incident would result in a citation.
Aug. 3 - An officer investigated possible ordinance violations at residences in Abbotsford and Colby. The officer checked up on a junk car with tall grass growing around it at a property on East Birch Street in Abbotsford. The car, which does not have a front license plate, was still in the same spot since the officer last checked on July 27.
The officer also checked on a complaint of junk in the alley between First and Second Street in Colby. The officer could seek junk and debris located in the driveway area in front of the garage doors near the alley. The junk included a cushion with fabric laying on it near a fence on the property, along with wood, a snow blower, bicycle, furniture, two push mower bodies, a tipped-over basketball hoop and other garbage.
Photographs were taken of the properties, and letters were sent to the owners.
_ Aug. 4 - Officers were dispatched to a Colby apartment in reference to a pair of suspects possibly breaking through a window. The incident was reported by the apartment’s maintenance worker, who identified the two people entering the apartment. An officer met with a woman who was identified as one of the people entering through the window. She said she was there to pick some of her belongings, as her lease runs out at the end of the month. She said she had previously locked her keys in the apartment. A male subject, who was also identified as entering through the window, was also questioned by police. He, too, said he was there to pick up his belongings. Officers also spoke to two witnesses who said the male and female party entered the apartment building together.
Dispatch reported that both parties had open felony cases and were under court orders not to have any contact with each other. The officer told the female party that witnesses placed her and the male party together. She was holding a leash with a small dog, and she refused to go anywhere with police. A deputy on scene told her to give him the dog. She sat against the front bumper of her car. An officer ordered her to get on her stomach. She was told to let go of the dog, and officers grabbed her arms and directed her to the ground as she resisted. She continued to resist as officers placed her in handcuffs and seated her in the back of a squad car. The male party was taken into custody without incident. The dog was taken to the police station, and arrangements were made for someone else to pick it up.
_ Aug. 4 - An officer was dispatched to a Colby gas station in reference to an intoxicated male trying to leave with his vehicle. Dispatch reported that a gas station employee was trying to prevent the male from leaving before law enforcement arrived. The officer met with a man who had slurred speech and glassy eyes. He said he was there to buy lottery tickets and was about to leave. He said he started drinking beer at 10 p.m. the night before and finished drinking around midnight. He admitted to drinking as many as six beers. He admitted to not having a driver’s license and said he was not supposed to be driving. Dispatch reported that he had a revoked license and was not allowed to drive with a blood-alcohol concentration over .02.
Field sobriety tests were conducted, and the driver said he could not complete them because he drank too much alcohol. A preliminary breath test showed a blood-alcohol level of .241. He was placed under arrest and brought to the police station, where he registered a .18 on the breathalzyer. He was cited for driving under influence (third) and driving with a prohibited alcohol content. He was released to a sober party.
_ Aug. 4 - An officer was dispatched to the area of South Fourth Street in Abbotsford in response to a 911 hangup. Dispatch said the number belonged to a man who had been previously arrested for drunk driving that night. The officer found the individual walking through the parking lot of a local gas station. He was asked if he dialed 911, and he said he did not. When asked why he was at the gas station, he said he was there to get something to eat because he was hungry. The officer advised him not to drive his vehicle, which was parked at the gas station parking lot. The man said he would walk home.
A short time later, a deputy observed the man get into his vehicle and drive out of the parking lot, going north on STH 13. The officer was driving nearby and pulled the vehicle over near East Elm Street. The officer met with the driver and asked him why he was driving, even though he was specifically told not to. He said he was just driving to his residence. His eyes were glassy and his speech was slurred, so the officer had him do field sobriety tests.
The driver was unable to complete the tests, so a preliminary breath test was taken, which showed a blood-alcohol content of .195. He was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and transported to the police station, where he blew a .15 BAC on the breathalzyer. During the arrest procedure, the driver made comments about killing himself, so the offi cer contacted a mental health service to discuss the issue. A counselor said someone from social services would be in contact with the driver. He was cited for drunk driving (third), driving while revoked and operating with a prohibited alcohol content. He was released to a sober party.
_ Aug. 7 - An officer was dispatched to an Abbotsford restaurant for an alarm going off. Officers walked the exterior perimeter of the building and observed no sign of forced entry or any unsecured doors. Dispatch contacted the key holder, who came to the scene and unlocked the restaurant so officers could check through the building. Nothing out of the ordinary was found.
_ Aug. 7 - Officers were dispatched to an Abbotsford bar in reference to an active fight. As they approached the bar, one of the officers spotted a male individual walking down the street with his face and shirt covered in blood. The offi cer had his partner stay with the individual as he proceeded to the bar. When he arrived, the officer saw a small group of people outside the bar, including a male subject completely covered in blood. The male’s shirt was also ripped. The officer identified the victim and also spoke to the owner of the bar.
The victim said his group of friends was attacked by another group, but he wasn’t sure why. He said all of the suspects left the scene before the police arrived. The bar owner said he was inside bartending when the fight started. He did not recognize any of the suspects, but said they all left in a Ford F150. A short time later, the officer observed another male subject with a cut on his forehead and blood running down his face. He and the other victims again said they were not sure why they were attacked.
Photographs were taken of the area outside the bar, which was covered with blood, broken glass, hats and liquid. A large pool of blood was found on the sidewalk. An officer reviewed security footage of the fight, which showed one of the victims being thrown to the ground and hit and kicked by several people. A third victim was identified and questioned about the cause of the fight. He said a member of their group started dancing with a female in the other group, which made them angry.
Officers located the suspects’ vehicle at an apartment complex in Abbotsford. Blood was observed on the door and door handles. A registration check revealed that the owner lived in a nearby apartment. An officer met with a male individual at the apartment and recognized him as one of the people attacking the victims in the security video. He was arrested and admitted to being involved in the fight. While the suspect was being questioned, a female party came by and started a disturbance. She was told multiple times to leave the area, but she refused to comply. She lunged at officers several times, and kept asking “what’s the proof ?” At the police station, the suspect said he “acted alone” and then refused to answer anymore questions. He was transported to Clark County Jail on a charge of substantial battery.
One of the victims was interviewed at the emergency room in Marshfield. He said the conflict appeared to have started when one of his friends tried to get a woman to dance with him, which angered her group of friends. A nurse at the ER said the victim’s nose had been broken, and he required stitches to his nose and forehead. Another victim also required stitches to his face.
By reviewing video footage of the fight, officers were able to identify four other suspects who were recommended for charges of substantial battery.
