Law roundup: ‘Nefarious’ man agrees to avoid car wash
A man described simply as acting “nefarious” sparked a call to the Columbia Falls Police Department. Employees of a local car wash reported the man after surveillance cameras captured him wandering around the property. Officers met up with the man, who said he swung by the business to drop off trash and ended up collecting a few coins off the ground, at his home. While the employees opted against banning the man from the property, he said he planned on avoiding the place in the future. Officers endorsed that idea.
Homeowners reported spotting a drone flying around their neighborhood and hoped that officers might get to the bottom of the aerial nuisance. While it wasn’t flying into backyards, it was hovering over homes. Seeing that no homes in the area were for sale, investigators ruled out real estate agents as being behind the drone. They were also unsure if the drone had broken any laws. The homeowners agreed to phone the police if it returned in the hopes investigators could find the drone operator.
Officers took a German shepherd to the Flathead County Animal Shelter after it turned up on a resident’s porch.
Officers mounted extra patrols in the area of Riparian Drive after receiving reports of residents lighting off New Year’s Eve fireworks in the middle of the road.
A 13-year-old left home alone called the police worried that someone else was in the house with them. They described hearing footsteps and rustling in the home. Authorities made contact with the teen's grandmother.
The manager of an RV park was among several callers asked for police intervention after two people in a blue and white van began circling the area while screaming and blasting music. Officers met up with the pair, who claimed to serve as the park’s neighborhood watch. They admitted to loudly playing music, but denied screaming. They were singing, they said. Officers requested they go home for the evening.
Officers attempted to track down a motorist reportedly driving recklessly. The black GMC Yukon allegedly was using the shoulder of the road as a passing lane.
A man accused his ex-wife of harassing him using a phone app. Because no temporary restraining or no contact order existed, officers determined that no crime had occurred.
A pedestrian reportedly jumping into traffic earned a talking to by the police. He told officers he was just out for a walk and a friend was coming to pick him up. He agreed to refrain from leaping into traffic going forward.
Authorities checked in on a vehicle parked on the side of Seventh Street with its hazard lights flashing. The woman inside the Chevrolet Impala told officers she was waiting on a coworker.