The following information was obtained from UW-Eau Claire Police Department records.

 

The gift

At 7:40 a.m on Feb. 15, the UW-Eau Claire Police Department was contacted and informed about a drug-related incident at 140 Wold Court near Clairemont Ave.

The Eau Claire Police Department was called to the scene first, and had collected the evidence before it was determined to be in the campus police jurisdiction.

A campus police officer arrived on the scene and met with an Eau Claire officer. The Eau Claire officer handed the campus officer a red and green gift box that allegedly contained marijuana.

The male who called the police to report the find had discovered the colorful gift box that morning while strolling behind McPhee Strength and Performance Center. The box was transported back to the campus police department.

Inside the box were three small bags. One contained “marijuana shake” while the others contained marijuana residue. After the evidence was processed, it was destroyed.

 

A functional snack

At 11:29 p.m on Feb. 16, a male campus police officer — joined by a Student Patrol —  was on guard near the McPhee Center. They saw a male and female subject walk behind the athletic center.

Because of prior issues of drug use in this area, particularly at that time of night, the officer and student followed the subjects behind the building. They began walking on the trail that leads to Putnam Park and the Simpson Field area.

The officer and Student Patrol saw the same individuals sitting on a fallen log, and observed the subjects walk behind a green shed. A flick of a light was seen as something was lit and smoked. This happened twice before the officer and student approached the subjects.

As they got closer, they could smell an odor of burnt marijuana. The officer then identified himself and shined his flashlight on the subjects. Their hands immediately went into their pockets, and the male subject hid something behind his back in his left hand.

The officer asked the subjects to show him their hands, and they did. The male subject held out an apple that had been made into a pipe. Marijuana was inside a makeshift bowl where the apple’s core would be. Some of the leafy green substance was burnt.

The officer asked who the marijuana belonged to, and the male subject said it was his. Other than an empty plastic bag with marijuana residue the female subject had hidden under her jacket, the subjects had nothing else on their persons.

The subjects told the officer they each had taken one “hit” of marijuana prior to the officer’s contact.

Neither of the subjects had any criminal history, so the officer explained the Diversion program. The female subject said she was interested in participating, but the male subject said he attended college out of state and wasn’t sure if he’d be able to come back to Wisconsin to participate.

The officer took possession of the apple and the plastic bag, and the subjects were escorted to the squad car. The female subject was visibly upset about being caught with marijuana, and said they both normally did not use it.

The female subject officially agreed to attend the Diversion program and chose a date. Since the male subject said he was unable to return to Wisconsin in time for the program, and the officer was unable to sign him up for an out of state program, he was issued an ordinance citation.