Law Enforcement
■ ■ Feb. 16 - An officer was asked to do a welfare check on an individual residing in Colby. The officer met with the individual, the individual’s mother, and a family friend at the emergency room in Marshfield. The mother stated she had received a call from the individual, who told her that they had taken six pills. The individual had been alone at the time and the mother had called the friend to help assist in getting the individual to the hospital. The individual was conscious, but was groggy and did not seem to know what was going at the time. The mother stated that the individual had never done anything like this before and thought it may have been related to a recent relationship or break-up.
The officer spoke with the individual, who said they had a lot going on in their life at the time and were feeling overwhelmed. The individual said they did not plan to take the pills ahead of time and did not think it through at all. The individual stated they took the pills and felt regret immediately afterwards. They called for help right away as they did not feel right.
The individual said they did take the pills in an attempt to hurt themselves, but no longer felt the same way. They did not have plans or thoughts to try anything like that again. The individual agreed to speak with a counselor, and a safety plan was put in place for the individual, which all parties were in favor of.
■ ■ Feb. 17 - An officer was requested to conduct a welfare check on an individual who had stopped taking their medication, making the concerned parties worried for the individual’s well being.
The officer met with the individual at an Abbotsford residence. The individual stated they were fine and told the officer about an incident that happened the day before. The individual had been at their sister’s house in Medford, when they had gotten into a verbal argument with their nephew. They were now no longer allowed at the residence. The officer asked what the argument had been about. The individual did not say.
The officer then asked about the medication they had stopped taking. The individual stated they had stopped taking the medication for mental health issues because they did not like feeling like a zombie.The officer then met with the owner of the residence that had witnessed the argument between the individual and nephew. The witness stated that the individual had said something to the nephew that did not make sense and did not seem to be in any language they had heard before. The nephew got mad because he did not know what the individual was saying. The witness stated that when the individual gets mad it is hard to control them as they just yell. The individual is no longer allowed at their sister’s or mother’s residences due to the arguments they have had.
The witness stated they brought the individual to their residence as they had no other place to go, but planned to take the individual to a homeless shelter the next day. The witness stated the individual had not been taking their medication for a month and they believe the individual’s actions will get worse the longer they do not take their medication. The witness seemed to be afraid of making the individual mad as they did not know what would happen.
The officer contacted Northwest Connections due to the individual speaking in an unknown language and exhibiting abnormal behavior towards the people close to them. Due to the individual not being a danger to themselves or others, Northwest Connections was unable to do anything. They said if the individual didn’t want to take the medication, they did not have to. Northwest Connections agreed to document the incident and made note that the individual struggled to have conversations with the representative as they just kept repeating themselves.
■ ■ Feb. 17 - An officer was requested by Clark County Aging-Disability Resource Center to conduct a welfare check on an individual residing in Abbotsford. The officer was told that the individual seemed to be displaying strange behavior and had made suicidal comments.
Upon arrival, the officer observed the individual look out their window and open the door slightly as the officer approached. The officer asked if they could come in to talk. The individual told the officer they were not suicidal but were going to be evicted in two days. The individual said the apartment was too messy and they could not care for themselves. The officer told the individual they would just like to speak with them, and asked if they could come inside due to the cold weather. The individual let the officer inside.
Inside the apartment, the officer observed the couch and loveseat in the living room to be broken. There were also multiple garbage bags in the middle of the room, and various other items on the floor. The kitchen looked to be recently cleaned, with some items on the counters. The officer could see a mattress on the floor in the bedroom, which had no sheets and seemed to be stained.
The officer asked if the individual had plans on a new place to live after eviction. The individual said no and they did not mean for the apartment to get like this. Someone from ADRC was supposed to come look at the apartment to see if it was cleanable, but they have not come. The officer asked if the individual wanted to kill or hurt themselves. The individual stated they didn’t know, but kind of did. The officer asked if they had a plan. The individual told the officer they had stopped taking their medication for the past two weeks and were saving it to take all at once. The individual then said they just needed to go to an institution. The officer asked if they had any family members in the area they could live with. The individual did not.
The individual spoke with Northwest Connections, who determined that the individual was not suicidal and the comments were made due to the current situation. The officer called ADRC and said they believed that a deep clean of the apartment would fix the situation, but the apartment manager would have to make that determination. It was decided that the individual would stay at a hotel for a week so that an evaluation of the apartment could be done and ADRC could find an arrangement for the individual. The manager of the apartment agreed to work with ADRC to see what could be done to resolve the situation.
■ ■ Feb. 23 - An officer was dispatched to a Colby residence in regards to a resident spitting on someone. The complainant stated that they had gone to the apartment building to have the residents move their vehicles out of the parking lot so it could be plowed. The complainant knocked on every door in the building to let the residents know. One of the residents came out into the hallway after the complainant knocked on their door and began yelling at them about banging on the doors. As the resident was screaming at the complainant, spit came out of their mouth and hit the complainant in the face. The complainant wiped the spit away and told the resident not to spit on them. The resident yelled that they did not care and claimed they were a detective. The complainant said they turned away and the resident punched them on the right side of their face with a closed fist. The resident then went back into their apartment.
The complainant went outside and called the police. The resident ended up coming outside to move their vehicle. The complainant pointed the officer toward where the resident was sitting in their vehicle. The officer asked if it had caused the complainant pain when the resident punched them. The complaint stated it was not painful, but it was terrifying. The complainant agreed to fill out a lack of consent form.
As the officer was getting the paperwork, the suspect drove past. The officer waved for the resident to stop. The resident waved back and continued driving. The officer gave dispatch the direction of travel and asked for Clark County deputies to check the area. The officer heard on the radio that a deputy had pulled the resident over. The officer went to the location of the stop to speak with the resident.
The resident wanted to know what the accusations were before they spoke to the officer. The resident then said the incident was that someone was pounding on their door when they were sleeping and it sounded like they were trying to knock the door down. The resident said they asked what was going on, and the complainant told them they are plowing snow today. The resident claimed the complainant was being rude. The resident then asked what the complaint was. The officer told them that the complainant stated they had been spit in the face and punched in the cheek. The resident said they did not believe that. The resident said if they had punched them there should be damage and asked if the complainant went to a doctor. The resident then said they may have touched the complainant because the resident is a private detective and they should not be messing around with private detectives. The resident claimed they never punched the complainant, but may have touched them in the face.
The officer placed the resident under arrest for misdemeanor battery and transported them to the Clark County Jail. While at the jail, the resident told the deputies at the booking counter that they only raised their arm and extended it out with a closed fist, but never punched the complainant. The resident gave a demonstration.
■ ■ Feb. 23 - An officer received a noise complaint regarding an Abbotsford bar. The officer met with the host of the party who was advised that the music was too loud and needed to be turned down. The host stated they understood and the officer cleared the scene.
■ ■ Feb. 23 - An officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling southbound on STH 13 after it was observed deviating from its lane several times. The officer met with the driver and explained the reason for the stop. The driver stated they were having issues with their tires/wheels. The officer asked for the driver’s license and proof of insurance. The driver was unable to provide an ID and did not have insurance.
As the officer was speaking with the driver, they could smell alcohol on their breath. The officer also observed the driver to have glossy/bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. The officer asked the driver if they had been drinking. The driver stated they had three or four beers earlier in the day with some friends at their residence. The officer asked when they started drinking. The driver estimated around 6 or 7 p.m. The officer’s watch showed that it was 7 p.m. The officer advised the driver of the time. The driver then estimated around 6:30 pm. The driver stated they were coming back from a store in Abbotsford and were heading home. The officer asked when the driver stopped drinking. The driver stated it was just at their house.
The officer was advised that the driver had no license issued and no prior convictions for operating while under the influence. The officer asked the driver to confirm their information. The driver stated they forgot their birthday and did not know it. The officer asked if the driver was willing to do field sobriety tests. The driver agreed. The officer observed 10 signs of intoxication while the driver was doing the tests.
The officer asked if the driver would be willing to submit to a preliminary breath test. The driver stated they were not and would pay their fine. The driver was placed under arrest for operating while under the influence (1st offense) and was transported to the police station. The driver was issued citations for operating while under the influence, operating without valid driver’s license, and unsafe lane deviation.
