Law Enforcement

■ Feb. 9 - An officer pulled a vehicle over in Colby after observing it to be traveling on STH 13 at a rate of 47 mph in a posted 30 mph zone. The officer met with the driver and explained the reason for the stop. The officer asked if the driver knew how fast they were going. The driver believed they were going 35 mph. The driver provided an ID to the officer, but stated they did not know where their driver’s license was. When asked, the driver said they were not able to produce proof of insurance.

The officer asked where the driver was going. The driver stated they were going to Medford. The officer asked why they were traveling southbound toward Marshfield. The driver insisted they were heading toward Medford and told the officer to follow them if they wanted to. The officer then asked if the driver knew where they were. The driver believed they were in Stetsonville. The officer informed the driver that they were in Colby. The driver started laughing and stated they were not in Colby. The officer confirmed that they were in Colby.

The driver then stated that they were not drunk and were willing to do tests. The officer asked if they had been drinking any alcoholic beverages. The driver stated they had a Christmas party in Stratford, then went to a bar in Dorchester, then went to another bar in Abbotsford.

While speaking with the driver, the officer observed them to have bloodshot, glossy eyes, and slurred speech. The officer could also smell alcohol. The officer asked the driver to clarify their timeline. The driver stated they had started drinking at noon and had two vodka lemonades while in Stratford. The driver then had one beer in Dorchester and then had two beers while at the bar in Abbotsford. The driver said they stopped drinking nearly two hours ago.

The driver agreed to perform field sobriety tests. As the driver was exiting their vehicle, they stated they did not know why they were being pulled over. The officer advised that it was due to their speed and asked if the driver remembered the officer saying that. The driver stated they did not.

The officer observed 13 signs of intoxication while the sobriety tests were conducted. The driver was willing to do a preliminary breath test and was told how to do so. The driver stated they understood, then said, “so if I fail, I’m going to jail.” The officer advised that there is no pass or fail on these tests. The officer then asked if the driver knew what the legal limit was. The driver stated 0.08. The officer then asked if the driver thought they were above it. The driver then said, “probably, yeah.” The result of the PBT was 0.188.

The driver was arrested for operating while under the influence (1st offense). The driver stated they would submit to an evidentiary test of their blood. While being transported to the medical center in Neillsville, the driver kept insulting the officer.

As a physician was about to take the driver’s blood, the driver stated they would not consent.The officer received a search warrant for a blood draw, and returned to the hospital for the blood draw. The driver was then transported to the Clark County Jail. The driver received citations for operating while under the influence (1st offense), speeding on city highway (16-19 mph over), and driving without proof of insurance.

■ ■ Feb. 10 - An officer met with a complainant in Abbotsford who said their credit card had been stolen. The complainant stated that the bank informed them that their card was used on Feb. 1. The complainant said $50 had been charged to the card. The complainant stated they had lost their card in January and didn’t know who took it. The complainant had cancelled the card and needed a case number to give to the bank.

■ ■ Feb. 10 - An officer received a phone call from the upstairs neighbor of a residence in Abbotsford, who heard yelling and banging between two individuals in the apartment below them. The caller confronted them about the noise and the noise stopped.

The officer met with the two residents of the lower apartment who stated they had a verbal argument and nothing physical happened. One of the individuals said they had asked the other to close the garbage can lid so the smell doesn’t leave the kitchen. The second individual got irritated and stomped around the apartment while yelling.

The second individual stated they did not yell, and the banging noise came from them dropping a handheld gaming device due to a muscular disease they have. The officer had been dispatched to the apartment months ago on a similar complaint and the second individual had made the same statement about the noise. The officer did not observe anything in the apartment to be damaged or thrown about. The officer advised the two residents that future complaints would result in disorderly conduct or a criminal arrest.

■ ■ Feb. 11 - An officer was dispatched to a Colby residence for a disturbance. The officer was notified that one of the participants had left the scene and that the disturbance was just a verbal argument. The officer met with the complainant who stated that the neighbor in the apartment above them had gotten into an argument with the complainant before leaving. The landlord arrived shortly after the officer. The complainant stated they had been packing up some things in the detached garage. The neighbor came out and began yelling at the complainant, saying that the garage was theirs. The complainant said the neighbor had threatened them and left after they began dialing 911.

The landlord described issues the neighbor had with the garage in the past. The neighbor had been telling the other tenants that they pay more rent and that the garage space was theirs alone. The landlord stated that was not true and they had been trying to tell the tenants that the garage is shared by both units.

The complainant said the neighbor had not gotten physical with them and had just threatened them. The complainant described the threat as the neighbor saying that one of their family members was going to catch the complainant. The complainant was convinced that the word catch meant “kill” due to the context.The officer told the complainant they would speak with the neighbor. The officer advised the landlord they would need to speak with the neighbor afterwards as well and clear up the issues with the garage.

The neighbor told the officer they were not upset about the garage being shared. The neighbor said the complainant had taken their items in the past and saw the complainant attempting to box up items of theirs again. The neighbor confronted the complainant, and the complainant began recording them, saying they were going to call the police. The neighbor said the only issues they had were caused by the complainant and the complainant was not supposed to be living there. The neighbor wanted the officer to speak with the landlord to see what could be done about not having the complainant there. The officer told the neighbor they would speak with the landlord and advised the neighbor to notify the landlord or police instead of taking matters into their own hands.

■ ■ Feb. 11 - An officer took a scam complaint from an individual who had gotten a popup error on their device, which gave them a phone number for a man claiming to be a federal agent. The complainant spoke with the man for days and sent him some identifying information. The scammer told the complainant that they had found copies of their information in a Manhattan apartment floor after a raid in the form of fake IDs. The man convinced the complainant that the suspects were after their money and got the complainant to send a check to the “agent” in Texas for $1,300. The man asked the complainant to take more money out and put it into a Bitcoin ATM without telling anyone of what was going on. The complainant decided to speak with an officer before they went to the bank again.

The officer told the complainant they were being scammed and that they needed to go to their bank right away and let them know what was happening. The officer advised the complainant that their first priority needed to be freezing the bank accounts so that nothing else could be taken, and then to come back to the police station to complete a report.

■ ■ Feb. 11 - An officer was alerted to a possible missing person that was currently located at the clinic in Colby. Staff there had been notified that the patient was a missing person. The officer conducted a records check of the individual, who returned as a missing person from Barron County. The notes on the missing person indicated that the individual was court ordered to be at a facility in Barron County.

The officer met with the individual at the clinic, who advised they knew why the officers were there. The individual did not need medical attention and was transported to the facility in Barron County without incident.

■ ■ Feb. 12 - An officer received a counterfeit money complaint from the manager at a gas station located in Abbotsford. The manager said an individual came in with a $10 bill, and a counterfeit marker changed color to yellow, which meant the bill was fake.

On Feb. 13, the officer conducted a follow up and met with another manager, who stated there was video footage, but it was unclear who or when an individual came into the gas station with the fake $10 bill. The manager advised that there wasn’t footage of the $10 bill being placed in the register, or when it was identified/marked as fake.

■ ■ Feb. 12 - An officer received an alert of vapor being detected by the vape detector in the girls’ bathroom at Colby High School. Vapor was also detected in the high school girl’s gym bathroom a couple minutes later. The principal advised the officer that five girls were in the bathrooms during the two vape alerts. One of the girls was present for both vape alerts.

The officer searched the five students and their belongings. During the search, two vapes were found on the student that had been present during both alerts. The other four students were released. The officer asked the remaining student where they got the vape. The student stated they were holding onto it for one of the other students. The student denied using the vape. The vape tested positive for THC. A citation for possession of THC will be issued to the student when they return from suspension.

■ ■ Feb. 13 - An officer pulled over a vehicle in Colby after the registered owner was reported to have a suspended driver’s license and a felony warrant issued through probation and parole. The officer met with the driver and passenger, and explained the reason for the traffic stop. The driver knew their license was suspended and said they were just driving up the road. The officer asked the passenger if they had a valid driver’s license. The passenger stated they did not.

As the officer was completing a citation for operating after suspension, a K-9 was deployed for an air sniff of the vehicle. The K9 alerted the vehicle. The officer had the driver exit the vehicle and informed them that they would be placed under arrest for the warrant. Searches of the driver and the passenger revealed nothing of evidentiary value.

A search of the vehicle uncovered a controlled substance with a prescription issued to the passenger inside of the passenger’s personal bag. A hygiene bag was located in the rear passenger seat, which contained the same controlled substance. There was no prescription attached to the controlled substance in the hygiene bag.The officer asked the driver who the hygiene bag belonged to. The driver claimed ownership over it. The officer asked the driver about the controlled substance found inside. The driver stated they had a prescription for it, but it was at their house. The officer explained that the prescription needed to be with the controlled substance at all times. The officer advised the driver that they would need to show the officer a valid prescription for the substance once they are released from jail or they would be charged for possession. The driver agreed to do so. The driver was transported to the Clark County Jail and was issued a citation for operating after suspension.

■ ■ Feb. 14 - An officer was dispatched to a Colby residence for a disturbance. The caller believed the victim had gone unconscious and had burn marks from a cigarette. The officer was advised that the suspect was no longer in the home. Upon arrival, the officer met with the caller who said their nephew had contacted them and stated that his parents were fighting. The caller said it was a video call and they could see the mother laying motionless on the floor.

While speaking with the caller, the suspect returned to the residence. A second officer spoke with the suspect outside while the officer spoke with the victim. The victim said her husband had accused her of lying and cheating. She said her husband kept saying that she wanted to start a fight. She did not remember anything else because she was so angry. The officer asked if he had pushed or kicked her. She said she did not know. The officer asked how she ended up on the floor. She stated that the husband had pushed her.

The caller stated that, when they got to the residence, the suspect had the victim pinned down on the bed. The suspect had his legs wrapped around her, while she was yelling that he was burning her. The caller said when they got into the room, the suspect let go of the victim and left the residence. The officer later overheard the victim tell the other officer that her back hurt from a cigarette burn.

See POLICE REPORTS/ Page 9 Police reports

Continued from page 7

The two officer met outside to discuss the suspect’s statements. The suspect stated that he had confronted his wife because he believed she was cheating since she was gone for four hours on Valentine’s Day. She had gotten mad at him for accusing her of cheating and started attacking him, and he tried to get away. He told the officer that his wife had attempted to bite him and swat at him, and he held her down on the bed to keep her from swinging at him. He said he was trying to get her off him and threw her to the side. He stated he bear-hugged her and tried to move her out of the way. He stated she was over dramatic and pretended to hit the door. He stated she laid on the ground “like I knocked her out or something.” He denied hitting his wife or doing anything physical against her, and said any marks on her were from him trying to get her off of him. The suspect spoke with the officer for several minutes, advising that his wife was unstable and crazy. The suspect claimed that she was never home and always starts things between them.

The suspect was placed under arrest for domestic disorderly conduct and battery. While transporting the suspect to jail, the officer was informed that the victim had accused the suspect of choking her while she was filling out the packet for domestic abuse. She said he had placed both hands around her neck, which had made it hard to breath for about 20 seconds. The second officer advised that they had observed circular marks on the victim that appeared to be blistered. Once they arrived at the jail, the officer informed the suspect that they were also under arrest for strangulation. The officer observed the suspect to have multiple scratches on his upper chest.

■ ■ Feb. 15 - An officer took a walk-in complaint from someone who said they needed a report done for their bank, as they had a few fraudulent transactions on their credit card. The complainant could not get a new card as they had already received three replacement cards within a year. The complainant provided a statement that showed the three transactions, totaling $317.93.