Law Enforcement
■ Nov. 20 - An officer was dispatched to the parking lot of a business in Abbotsford in reference to an individual not responding appropriately to their parents. The officer was informed that the individual was under a safety plan through Clark County Crisis Center due to an incident the day prior. Upon arrival, the officer met with the individual’s father, who stated that the individual’s eyes started rolling back in their head and they were not able to communicate with him. The officer asked if the individual had taken anything. The father stated the individual had only taken their prescribed medication that morning and all other substances were inaccessible to the individual. He stated that the individual had been under supervision all day and would not have had a chance to take anything. EMTs arrived and transported the individual to the hospital in Marshfield. The officer called Northwest Connections to inform them of the situation due to the active safety plan in place.
■ ■ Nov. 24 -An officer was dispatched to an Abbotsford hotel in reference to an individual seeking assistance as they were unable to stay at the hotel and needed help due to the cold. The officer ran the individual’s information through dispatch and found that Taylor County had issued a warrant for the individual that day. The officer went to the hotel and met with the individual in the lobby. The individual told the officer that Medford police had dropped them there the night prior, but they only had a room for one night. The individual was looking for assistance to be able to stay for another night. The officer told the individual that they could not provide financial assistance, but could give them a ride elsewhere for a place to stay. The individual accepted the officer’s offer. The officer then informed the individual of the warrant. The individual was handcuffed and placed in the rear of the officer’s squad car. Dispatch confirmed the warrant and sent a message to Taylor County to see if they would want to do a prisoner exchange at the county line. The officer transported the individual to the county line and they were turned over to a Taylor County Deputy without incident.
■ ■ Nov. 26 - A welfare check was requested on an individual residing in Abbotsford. The concerned party stated that they had seen the individual the evening before at the individual’s apartment, but was later informed that the individual had slept in their truck that night and had flooded the apartment.The apartment manager met with the officers at the individual’s apartment to document the damage caused by the flooding. The manager stated that they would be serving the individual with a five-day eviction notice when they returned.
The officer went to the area where the individual had reportedly spent the night. The individual had already left and was not located within the Colby-Abby area. A short time later, the officer was informed of the individual’s whereabouts in Medford. The officer called the Medford PD to request a welfare check on the individual. The officer also contacted the Aging-Disability Resource Center to look into assistance for the individual if they were to be evicted. The ADRC informed the officer that they were already familiar with the individual. The concerned party that requested the welfare check spoke with the officer again to elaborate on the individual’s situation. The officer was informed that the individual had been taken to the emergency room multiple times and had been repeatedly told they did not meet the requirements to be held on an emergency detention. While speaking with the concerned party, the individual called and said they were in Abbotsford and were going to the nursing home to see if there was a room available. The individual was told to go to the apartment so that the officer could get a statement in regards to the flooding.
The officer met with the individual, who said their foot was hurting, so they sat in a chair outside the shower and soaked the foot in running water. The individual said they fell asleep, and when they woke up, they went to the gas station. The individual did not turn off the shower before before leaving the apartment. The individual seemed confused and gave contradictory accounts of their time spent at the gas station. They stated they went home after spending a couple hours at the gas station and slept in their truck because it was warm, and then went to Medford after waking up. They came home after finding out they were going to be evicted.
The officer asked the individual about their mental health status and if they could care for themselves. The individual stated they could not and felt they needed a caseworker. The officer called a caseworker and informed them of the individual’s situation. The caseworker advised that the individual did not meet the requirements for an emergency detention unless they could prove that they were a danger to themselves. At that point, the officer could not make that determination. The caseworker told them that an option would be for the family of the individual to take them to the emergency room if the individual would voluntarily check themself into a mental health hospital. The individual was unwilling to do so.
■ ■ Nov. 26 - An officer was advised of a vehicle with no tail lights traveling north from Unity on STH 13. The officer saw the vehicle traveling through Colby and conducted a traffic stop. The officer met with the driver and explained the reason for the stop. The driver stated they hadn’t known the tail lights were out and turned them on. The officer then asked for the driver’s license and insurance. The driver told the officer that they would have to find proof of insurance as the vehicle was their significant other’s, and that they did not have their license. The driver was able to provide a photo of the ID.
While speaking with the driver, the officer could smell marijuana emanating from the vehicle. When asked about the smell, the driver admitted that their significant other does smoke marijuana. The officer ran the driver’s information and found that they did not have a valid driver’s license. The officer asked the driver to step out of the vehicle and informed them that they would be conducting a search on the vehicle.
The officer found a blunt located in a cup holder and a vape pen in the center console. The officer asked the driver about both items. The driver stated they were not theirs and did not know they were in the vehicle. They said the blunt had marijuana, but the vape was CBD. The officer informed the driver that if the items tested positive for THC, the driver would be receiving a citation. The officer also advised the driver to call someone with a valid license to pick them up. The vape and the blunt both tested positive for marijuana, so a citation for possession of THC was issued.
■ ■ Nov. 29 - An officer responded to a two vehicle crash in Abbotsford. The first vehicle’s driver stated that while traveling southbound on STH 13, a smaller vehicle came into their lane and collided with their vehicle. The officer observed their vehicle to have minor damage to the driver’s side. The officer then spoke with the second vehicle’s driver who stated they changed lanes without paying attention, and ended up striking the first vehicle. The officer observed the second vehicle to have minor damage to the front passenger side. The second driver admitted to not having insurance or a valid driver’s license. The officer informed them that they would be receiving citations for no insurance and inattentive driving.
■ ■ Nov. 29 - An officer observed a vehicle traveling in front of them in Colby. The vehicle’s registered owner had a warrant with a bond of $500, and a revoked driver’s license due to an alcohol-related offense. The officer conducted a traffic stop and informed the driver of the warrant. The driver stated that their brother would be able to get the money for the warrant. The driver was transported to the police department. The brother arrived and provided the bond money. The driver was issued a citation for operating while revoked due to alcohol.
■ ■ Nov. 30 - While on routine patrol in Abbotsford, an officer observed a vehicle traveling with no lights on after dark. The officer pulled the vehicle over and met with the driver, who stated that they did not have their identification on them. The officer asked them to write their full name and date of birth. The officer tried running a background check on the information given, but was unable to get a return on the name. The officer tried just the date of birth and got a return for a different name, with the same address as the one on the vehicle’s registration. The officer checked Clark County’s system and found a booking photo of an individual that looked exactly like the driver.
The officer asked the driver for their address, and was given the same address. The officer asked if the driver had ever been pulled over or given a ticket. The driver stated they had not. The officer advised the driver not to lie further as they had an identifying picture of them. The driver stated they were scared because they had a pending court date. The officer asked if they had a warrant, and the driver said they didn’t, just had to go to court. The officer ran the correct information through dispatch and was informed that the driver had a revoked license due to an alcohol related offense, as well as an open case with a bond condition prohibiting them from driving without a valid license.
The officer issued a citation for operating after revocation due to alcohol and warned the driver for driving with no lights on after dark. The officer explained that since the driver had knowingly lied about their identity, the officer would be recommending charges of obstructing an officer with the intent to avoid penalty and bail jumping.
■ ■ Dec. 1 - An officer met with a complainant who said they shared custody of their two children with an ex, and that the ex’s new girlfriend was verbally aggressive to the children. The officer advised the complainant that if they do not want the new girlfriend present when the children are with the ex, they should get that put into the custody arrangement. The complainant agreed to have an officer speak to the new girlfriend about her behavior and to discuss the arrangements at the next meeting with the child support agency.
The officer spoke with the girlfriend about her behavior around the children. The girlfriend stated that she would never do that to the children, and that the complainant was lying to get the ex and herself in trouble. While speaking with the girlfriend, the officer observed the ex’s phone to have several missed calls from the complainant. The ex said they felt harassed by the calls. The ex also mentioned that the complainant had been threatening them, and told them that they were trying to put the ex in jail. The officer asked why the ex believed that. The ex stated that the complainant had sent pictures of the officer interviewing them and told the ex that they were serious about trying to put them in jail.
While speaking with the ex, one of the children stated that the complainant had told them to lie about the ex being a bad parent and the girlfriend being mean to them. The child also said that the complainant always insults the ex in front of them. The officer advised the ex to block the complainant’s number and not answer. The ex stated that they wanted the incident documented.
■ ■ Dec. 1 - While on patrol in Colby, an officer observed a vehicle turn left at an intersection while the traffic signal was still red. The vehicle then went northbound on STH 13. The officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and asked the driver why they turned left when the traffic light was still red. The driver said they believed that they could since there was no other vehicle approaching the intersection. The driver admitted to not having a valid license or proof of insurance. The officer conducted a background check on the driver and found that they had no license issued and had a warrant for failure to appear in court and a bond amount of $600.
The officer informed the driver of the warrant and asked if they would be able to post the $600 bond. The driver stated that they did not have enough money to post and did not have anyone to call to help. The warrant was confirmed, and the driver was arrested, taken to Marshfield and released to a Wood County deputy. Citations were issued for operating without a valid license (second within three years) and violating a red traffic light.
