Law Enforcement

n November 13 - An officer was working in the City of Colby on Hwy. 13 when the officer observed a vehicle going 12 mph over the speed limit. The officer conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle near the gas pumps of the Shell Gas Station in Abbotsford. The officer made contact with the driver who acknowledged that he was speeding. The officer observed the man to have glossy and bloodshot eyes and the odor of alcohol was coming from the vehicle. The driver said he had three beers that night and stopped drinking an hour ago.

The officer ran the driver through the Wisconsin Department of Justice system and found that the man did not have a driver’s license issued. The man agreed to perform field sobriety tests and a preliminary breath test which came back with a result of 0.220. The officer placed the man under arrest for operating while under the influence and transported him to the Colby-Abbotsford Police Department. The man was issued citations for operating without a valid license, exceeding speed zones (1-10 mph) operating while under the influence and operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration.

The man was then released to a responsible party.

n November 17 - An officer met with a woman at the department who said her ex-boyfriend, who had been sentenced to prison for felony stalking charges and had since been deported to Mexico, had made contact with her sister.

The woman said her sister received a Facebook message from a mutual friend of her’s and her ex-boyfriend’s. The friend asked the woman’s sister if she still lived in her same apartment. She confirmed she did. The friend told the woman’s sister to have the woman be careful because the woman’s ex-boyfriend was back in the area. There were no direct threats in the conversation. But the profile did send the woman’s sister a video of someone driving down the road and zooming in on a Wasuau/Stevens Point sign. However, the video appeared to be taken in summer and would not be proof that the man was in the area at this moment.

The woman then told the officer she believed the friend’s account to be fake and believed her sister was actually speaking to her ex-boyfriend via a fake account.

The officer observed the friend’s actual Facebook profile and noticed the “fake” profile had pictures that were all added within a week of the complaint. The officer confirmed the account that was messaging the woman’s sister was indeed the ex-boyfriend.

The woman stated she was afraid for her life because the man has threatened to kill her and was close to killing her in the past. The officer noted the man had been deported in 2021 but could not confirm the man would still be in Mexico.

The woman decided to leave her apartment for the forseeable future and the officer advised the woman to not hesitate to call 911 if she felt she was in danger. The officer contacted both ICE and Probation/ Parole about the ex-boyfriend. A Wisconsin Department of Corrections agent said they would be issuing a warrant for the man’s arrest.

The officer said extra patrol would be conducted around the woman’s residence.

n November 19 - An officer was dispatched to a location in Abbotsford for the report of a vehicle that had struck a utility pole in the alley behind a residence. The caller advised the vehicle was still in the area. The officer observed a headlight assembly that was laying on the ground next to the pole. The officer followed the tire tracks through the snow which led to a vehicle that was sitting nearby.

The officer approached the vehicle and noticed there were no foot impressions in the snow around the vehicle and the driver was still in the driver’s seat. The officer noticed the vehicle had major damage to the front of the vehicle and the headlight assembly was missing. The officer made contact with the driver and noticed the driver’s eyes were glassy. The officer informed the man he would be taking him to the police department to have him perform field sobriety tests. The officer had to hold the man’s arm to assist him into the officer’s squad car.

The officer ran the man’s name through dispatch after arriving at the department. The officer was told the man’s license was revoked and had two prior convictions for OWI. He also had an arrest warrant in Clark County with a $200 bond.

The man refused the field sobriety test and asked for his lawyer at which time the officer issued the man a citation for a 3rd offense of operating while under the influence. He also refused the following evidentiary chemical breath test.

While completing forms, the man asked the officer why he took him from his house. The officer informed the man he was not taken from his house and that he had crashed his vehicle into a utility pole. The man denied being involved in an accident.

The man was released to a responsible party.

n November 20 - An officer was on patrol when he observed a vehicle deviate from its lane of travel and cross the yellow center line several times. The officer initiated a traffic stop and upon meeting with the driver, could smell alcohol coming from the driver’s breath. The driver stated he drank three bottles of beer over four hours at a local bar.

The man agreed to perform the standardized field sobriety tests as well as a preliminary breath test which came back with a result of 0.148. The officer placed the man under arrest and transported him to the police department where he issued the man a citation for operating with a prohibited alcohol content and operating while under the influence and released the man to a responsible party.