Police Blotter

Campus police stumbled upon ‘laced’ brownies and sleeping students in this week’s blotter

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Photo by Submitted

Story by Anne Sandell, Chief Copy Editor

Busted with baked goods

Two UW-Eau Claire students chose to enter the Eau Claire County Diversion Program after campus police discovered drug paraphernalia in the subjects’ dorm room last Tuesday night.

Around 11:01 p.m. officers were dispatched to Governors Hall regarding the odor of marijuana. Once on scene, officers met with the complainant, a resident assistant who explained where the odor of marijuana was detected 10 minutes prior.

The resident advisor was unable to determine the exact room but stated it was strongest near the stairwell door.

Officers went to the floor in question and detected the odor of marijuana. After pinpointing the room from which the odor was coming from, they knocked on the door.

After roughly 10 seconds, the door was answered by a male who verbally identified himself, informing officers he lived within the room. The officers introduced themselves and asked the subject if he would allow them into his room and the subject consented.

Once inside the room, officers observed another subject on the couch. The room strongly smelled of marijuana. Officers informed the subjects they detected the odor of marijuana coming from the room and were there to investigate.

When asked by police how long ago they had used marijuana, one subject informed police they had used marijuana in the room around 30 minutes before.

Officers requested the subjects turn over any marijuana or paraphernalia they had in the room, to which the subjects complied.

One subject removed a blue vaporizer pen from his pocket, stating he had smoked marijuana from it in the room and that it belonged to both of the subjects. The subject then stated there were other items in the fridge.

Upon opening the fridge, the subject removed a small, black vapor lock plastic container, which held two small, soft, circular containers. One container contained trace amounts of what appeared to be marijuana wax, while the other contained approximately a “quarter-size” amount.

Also in the refrigerator were nine bottles of New Glarus Beer and a bottle of Korbel Brandy that was approximately one-tenth full.

According to the report, the marijuana, paraphernalia and alcohol were all turned over to the officers. The officers then asked the subjects for consent to search their room for illegal items. The subjects agreed to be searched.

Officers asked the subjects if any other illegal items would be located during the search. One subject initially denied there were any other illegal items in the room, but soon informed officers there were marijuana brownies in the refrigerator.

Inside the refrigerator, officers located a drawstring bag which held two separate plastic ziplock bags. The subjects informed officers the brownies belonged to them, one bag containing four brownies, the other containing six.

According to the report, the subjects said the brownies were for their own consumption and they were not being sold. They informed the officers they each bought a bag that contained 12 brownies for $120 near their hometown one week earlier.

During the search officers also discovered a one step, marijuana test panel urine kit.

The subjects agreed to participate in the Eau Claire County Diversion Program as an alternative to other law enforcement options.

Officers cleared the hall with the illegal items obtained, disposing the alcohol down a custodial closet drain and transporting the illegal items to the property room.

No slumber parties allowed

Campus police had to remind two dedicated students, who were found sleeping in Haas early Thursday morning, that there is an ordinance against camping and being inside buildings after closing hours.

At 3:48 a.m. on Sept. 22, an officer was performing a building check of Haas when they came across two male subjects sleeping in the main lobby area outside the theatre.

According to the report, the officer observed both subjects were lying on the couches with their eyes closed and blankets covering their bodies. In addition, opened food containers and charging cellphones were near the students.

Campus police observed all the exterior doors to the building were secured and that the signs posted on the building stated it was closed from 10:30 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The officer approached the subjects’ location and verbally tried to wake them up with no success. Shaking the students’ arms, the officer successfully woke the subjects and explained the reason for contact.

One subject told the officer that he and the other subject had arrived at Haas at approximately 10 p.m. while the building was still open.

The subject claimed the two of them were upstairs working on their music and it got to be late, so they decided that it would “make more sense to sleep there” since they needed to be back early in the morning for classes.

According to the report, the subjects did not have permission to be in the building after closing hours. The subjects said they were never asked by a custodian or anyone else to leave.

The officer explained the ordinance about being inside buildings after hours and advised the students they return when the building opens at 6 a.m.