Law Enforcement
■ Nov. 14 - An officer took a walk-in complaint of identity theft. The complainant said they had been trying to enroll in a program to get assistance with health insurance for their children and had received forms from the processing company. The complainant had been unemployed since 2022, but the form showed them being employed at an unfamiliar company starting that year. The complainant said someone must be employed there using their Social Security number, name, and possibly other information. They had not given anyone permission to use their information and did not know who would’ve stolen it, nor how they would have gotten it.
The complainant had filed a report with the processing service for employment fraud and was asked to provide a police report. The officer said they would file a report for the complainant to give to the processing company, and send a copy to the local authorities at the company where the fraudulent employment was taking place
■ ■ Nov. 15 - An officer took a theft complaint from an individual who stated that their political signs had been stolen. The complainant said they had put their signs near the intersection of South 4th Street near East Spruce Street in Abbotsford. The complainant valued the sign and post holding it up at $60 and said they wanted the sign back to use again for other elections. The complainant sent the officer a picture from Nov. 13, at approximately 2:18 p.m., of an individual next to a pickup truck with a blue sign strapped to the tailgate.
■ ■ Nov. 15 - While on patrol in Colby, an officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with an expired registration. The driver said they did not know about the expiration, as they had been busy moving. The driver was able to provide a driver’s license and proof of insurance.
While completing a citation for the driver, a K-9 unit arrived on scene and alerted to presence of contraband in the vehicle. The officer reapproached the vehicle and advised both the driver and passenger that they would be conducting a search of the vehicle due to the K-9 alert.
The driver and passenger were uncooperative, as they believed that they were being targeted due to past history. The passenger requested a supervisor and a county deputy be present at the scene. They were informed that the officer’s supervisor was not on duty, but they could come to the police department the next day to speak with him. The passenger was not happy with the response and refused to exit the vehicle when told to do so. The driver and passenger became more cooperative after being told that a Clark County deputy would come.
The deputy arrived, and the driver told officers that there was a package of vape cartridges in the center console. Two cartridge packages and a vape pen were located in the vehicle. Another vape pen was located in a purse in the vehicle. The driver claimed both vapes were theirs and the officer took custody of the evidence. The driver was issued a citation for non-registration of auto. The officer said if the evidence tested positive for marijuana, the driver would also receive a citation for possession of THC.
The driver stated they understood and did not have any questions. The evidence tested positive for marijuana, and a citation was issued.
■ ■ Nov. 16 - An officer observed a vehicle going 40 mph in a 25 mph zone in Abbotsford. The officer conducted a traffic stop and met with the driver and passenger. The officer observed several beer cans near the passenger’s feet that appeared to be open, with beer coming out. The officer also located two vape pens in an open storage compartment. The passenger surrendered the vapes to the officer, who saw that one of them had THC written on it. When asked, both the driver and passenger stated they had been drinking alcohol. The driver agreed to do field sobriety tests, but the officer did not observe any indications of intoxication.
The officer ran a background on the driver, who came back as not having a valid driver’s license. The officer had both the driver and passenger exit the vehicle and stand at the front of their patrol vehicle while the vehicle was searched.
The officer located a vape pen and two cartridges. Both driver and passenger claimed ownership of the items. The officer advised them that the evidence would be confiscated, and if it tested positive for marijuana, a citation would be mailed to both of them for possession of marijuana. The officer informed the driver that they would also be mailed citations for operating without a valid license, possession of open intoxicants and speeding.
The vape pen tested positive for marijuana, so both the driver and passenger were mailed several citations.
■ ■ Nov.16 - An officer responded to a complaint from an individual who said they had been approached by an individual who asked if they had any problems with their son. The complainant drove away, and the individual followed the complainant’s vehicle back to the complainant’s residence. The individual got out of their vehicle to ask several more questions before leaving.
The officer met with the individual at their residence. The individual stated that there had been a vehicle driving by their house lately and stopping. They didn’t know who the vehicle belongs to or what they want. They thought the unidentified vehicle looked like the one driven by the complainant. The individual believes that the issue involves their son, but the son has denied having trouble with anyone. The individual requested increased patrol around their residence due to the vehicle always stopping nearby. The officer let the individual know there would be an increased patrol.
■ ■ Nov.16 - An officer was dispatched to a hotel in Abbotsford for a guest that was smoking in their hotel room and refusing to leave the property.
Upon arrival, the officer met with the individual, who was sitting in the lobby near the owner, who was at the front desk. The owner said the individual was smoking in their room and refused to leave when they were requested to vacate. The individual stated that they had reserved a smoking room, and had not known that you cannot smoke in any hotel. The individual told the officer that they had nowhere to go and no family in the area. They asked if they could stay until the next day to figure out other arrangements. The owner wanted the individual to leave the property immediately. They stated that the individual had slammed the door on the owner’s leg when they had confronted the individual about smoking in the room.
The officer walked the individual to their room to collect their things and call for a ride. The officer could smell a strong odor of alcohol coming from the individual as they spoke and observed the room to be filled with a haze of smoke.
The officer asked if they had any money for another hotel. The individual stated they did, but they had paid for three nights at this hotel. The owner told the officer that they would refund the individual their money for two nights, minus the cleaning fee for smoking and any damage done to the room. The officer was told that the individual is not allowed at any hotel or motel in Abbotsford since they are all owned by the same company. The individual was refunded their money and the officer contacted one of the hotels in Medford about available rooms.
The officer transported the individual to the new hotel and made sure they were checked in. They informed the individual that they were not allowed to go back to any hotel in Abbotsford. The individual stated they understood.
■ ■ Nov. 18 - An Abbotsford resident asked an officer to speak with their neighbor about allowing their dog to wander onto the complainant’s property and defecate in their yard. The officer spoke with the neighbor about the complaint and advised them to keep the dog in their yard to avoid any future citations.
■ ■ Nov. 20 - An officer received a call of a dog running loose in Abbotsford. The officer was told that the dog appeared to be aggressive and was trying to get at other dogs in a fenced yard. The officer located the dog running between Hickory and Pine streets. The officer recognized the dog as being one that had been caught running loose in September. The officer went to the owner's residence to advise them on the dog's whereabouts. The owner was mailed a citation for permitting an animal to run at large.
■ ■ Nov. 20 - An officer was dispatched to look for a patient that had left a nursing home in Abbotsford, and was last seen walking north from the nursing home’s location. The officer was familiar with the patient from a similar incident that had occurred in September. The patient was located several blocks away from their last reported location. They told the officer that they did not wish to return to the nursing home, as they were sick of people taking care of them and believed they were capable of taking care of themselves at home. The patient planned on walking to the home they owned outside the area.
The officer asked the patient if there was a case worker they could call to figure out new accommodations. The patient stated they wanted to go to the appointment they had in Wausau with the case worker, but it had been cancelled. The patient also told the officer that they wished to speak with a court official to figure out why they had been placed in the nursing home. The officer was able to convince the patient to have a seat in the squad car while the officer called and spoke with the director of the nursing home.
The director gave the officer the contact information of a case worker that was working on a new placement for the patient. The case worker informed the officer that they were currently writing an order for emergency protective placement for the patient so that they didn’t have to go back to the nursing home. The officer agreed to transport the patient to the emergency room at the hospital in Medford. The officer released custody of the patient to the case worker and a county deputy at the hospital, then called the nursing home to inform them of the patient’s location.
■ Nov. 21 - An officer was dispatched to an Abbotsford business for a damage to property complaint. The officer met with the safety director, who stated that they had recently ended business with a vending machine distributor. On Nov. 20, the owner of the vending machines came to remove them from the property. When the owner of the machines was leaving, they got their truck and trailer jackknifed in the parking lot between two vehicles. The owner eventually drove onto the grass and got stuck.
The director stated that the owner then put the truck in four-wheel drive and spun the tires to get out of the grass. This tore up the grass and sprayed mud all over the parked vehicles. The director had stopped the owner from leaving and told them about the damage. The owner went to look before getting back in their truck and leaving.
The director said they did not want to press charges and just wanted the incident documented in case the owner of the vending machines does not reimburse the business for the damage. The officer was given a phone number for the vending machine owner. They called and asked the owner about the incident. The owner stated that they were leaving after loading up the vending machines and rolled into the grass. They did not know how soft the ground was, and after getting the truck out, they stopped to talk to the safety director. The owner agreed to pay for the damages before leaving. The officer let the owner know that no charges were being filed and the business had only requested for the incident to be documented.
■ ■ Nov. 21 - An office observed an individual walking north on Highway 13 in Abbotsford. The officer recognized the individual from previous law enforcement contacts and knew the individual had a warrant issued through Clark County. The officer stopped the individual and informed them of the warrant. The individual denied their identity, even after the officer advised that they knew who the individual was from prior dealings. The officer confirmed that the warrant was for failure to appear for possession of THC (2nd), resisting/obstructing, three counts of bail jumping, and operating after revocation was valid and body only. The individual was arrested and taken to the Clark County Jail.
■ ■ Nov. 23 - An officer was informed that a resident of an assisted living facility in Colby had walked away from the facility and was improperly dressed for the cold weather. The officer was advised that the resident had dementia and was walking towards a nearby gas station.
The officer arrived and observed the resident, with two staff members following after them, walking across a median strip into a gas station parking lot. The resident had a blanket across their shoulders, but was otherwise not dressed appropriately for the cold temperatures. The resident seemed confused and disoriented and complained about being very cold. The officer had the resident sit in the back of the heated squad car while they spoke with the staff. The staff informed the officer that the resident had done this in the recent past. They asked that the resident be taken in for a mental health commitment, as they believed the resident needed more assistance than what they could offer at the facility. The staff stated that the resident had broken out of the locked unit in the facility
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designed for residents with memory issues, and had thrown their walker earlier that day.
One of the staff members handed the officer a phone to speak with the manager about the situation. The manager told the officer that due to the increased issues with the resident and the inability to keep them contained at the facility, they were going to speak to the resident’s guardian about finding a more suitable placement for them. The officer informed the staff that the resident’s condition and current situation was not appropriate for a commitment. The officer advised the staff to call the police if the situation happens again, as they did not want the resident to be injured by vehicles or the cold temperatures. The staff asked EMS to take the resident in for an evaluation. EMS arrived and the resident was transported to the hospital.
■ ■ Nov. 23 - An officer was dispatched to an Abbotsford bar in regards to a noise complaint. Upon arrival, the officer observed that the bass from the music being played was loud enough to hear a couple blocks away. The officer met with the owner and informed them of the noise complaint, warning them that the bass needed to be turned down as it was causing a disturbance to the public. The owner stated that they would turn the music down. Approximately an hour later, the officer returned to the establishment, as the music still hadn’t been turned down. The officer could hear it at different locations within several blocks of the establishment. The officer parked near the establishment and found that the volume had not changed since the previous encounter. The officer spoke with security at the establishment, who showed a decibel reader on their phone averaging 90 decibels. The officer met with the owner and issued a citation for loud and unnecessary noise (third within five years.)
■ ■ Nov. 24 - An officer was dispatched to an Abbotsford bar in regards to a male party who had grabbed a female by the neck. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with a witness who stated that a male had walked up to their female cousin and grabbed her by the neck. The witness stated that their cousin’s boyfriend had gone to the bathroom, and while he was in the bathroom, the male attacked her. The witness identified a person who had pulled the male off the female. The witness stated that the female ran over to them and told them somebody was trying to kill her. They asked where the male was, and she told them that he had already run out.
The witness then went outside to try to find the male to see why he grabbed the woman. They saw the male get into a car and leave, but was unable to give a description of the vehicle. The officer asked the female individual if she needed medical attention. She said she was okay but scared. She stated that the male had held onto her neck for 10 to 15 seconds and she had lost the ability to breath for a couple seconds. She did not remember many details as the incident had occurred very quickly. A witness stated that they had seen the male grab the female’s neck, and had grabbed the male to get him off of her, asking them what was going on. Her boyfriend then came over and hit the male.
The boyfriend stated that he was coming back from the bathroom and saw his girlfriend getting choked. He saw the second witness take the male off of her. He then hit the male before asking what the problem was. The officer asked how the first witness knew the identity of the male. The witness stated that they recognized the individual from an incident that had occurred a couple years ago in Unity.
The officer asked the boyfriend if anything had happened earlier between him and the male that would have led the male to attacking his girlfriend. The boyfriend denied having even spoken to the male that night. He stated that he had seen the male was drunk, but he and his girlfriend were just sitting there. The female also denied having spoken to the male at all before the incident and didn’t know why he had just come over and grabbed her. Neither claimed to have had any connection to the male prior.
The officer was then informed that a security guard had observed that the suspect had a cut above his eye from the punch from the boyfriend.
The officer and a deputy went to speak with the suspect at his residence in Unity. The officer observed the male to have a cut near his left eyebrow along with a scratch running down his face underneath his left eye. The officers asked the male to tell them what had happened at the establishment the night prior. The male stated that he had an argument with his brother-in-law and he did not know what happened.
The officer asked what had happened to his face. The male said a boy had come over to tell him things, they argued, but he did not remember what it had been about. The officer asked if the male had drank a lot while at the bar. The male indicated that he did. The officer asked for the identity of the boy that he had argued with. The male gave the name of the victim’s boyfriend. The officer asked if he knew why the boy had hit him. The male once again stated he didn’t remember. The male stated that he did not remember speaking with a female at the establishment, and was told that morning that he had tried to hurt a woman. He denied remembering what he did to her. He stated that he didn’t know her. The male was placed under arrest for strangulation and suffocation, and disorderly conduct and transported to the Clark County Jail.
