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

False sightings of sex offender on campus

At 9:37 a.m. on Oct. 24, a campus officer was dispatched by the communication center to contact a student via telephone. The student wanted to report a possible sighting of Bruce Moores, a sex offender who had been released from prison the day prior, on the UW-Eau Claire campus.

About 20 minutes before the student reported the possible sighting, an informational bulletin was sent out ot UW-Eau Claire faculty, staff and student email accounts. The bulletin included a picture of Moores and details of his prior conviction. The bulletin encouraged people to contact University Police if they observed Moores on University property, as he is currently banned.

The officer drove to the McPhee steps, where the student had reported the potential sighting. He did not see anyone in the area resembling Moores. The officer then contacted the student by telephone.

The student had seen the informational bulletin and — while walking with a friend south, from Davies to the McPhee steps — observed a man she believed resembled Moores standing by himself and humming. The student was unsure if the man was Moores, but wanted to notify the police department.

The officer spoke with the student about the numerous older white males on campus that morning, handing out Bibles to students at various locations on campus. He told the student he believed the male was likely a part of the group giving away Bibles, but would contact her if the man was indeed Moores.

The officer then located a male that matched the description the student had given him. He was handing out Bibles to pedestrians at the end of the wooden walk bridge that connects Putnam Drive with the Davies Center parking lot. The officer explained to the man, who was not Moores,  the complainant that he had received, and showed him the bulletin with the photo of Moores. The officer then answered his questions and cleared from the area.

There were two more reports of possible sightings of Moores between Oct. 24 and Oct. 25. Both reports were deemed unfounded by campus officers after thorough investigations.

 

Asleep at Aspenson-Mogenson

At 5:46 a.m. on Oct. 27, a campus officer was conducting active control when she located a male sleeping in the parking lot of Aspenson-Mogenson Hall.

The officer approached the male and shook his shoulder to wake him up. The male, who was later found to be of drinking age and without warrants, appeared intoxicated due to his slurred speech and glossy eyes. He also had trouble standing up when the officer first made contact with him.

The officer told the male she had observed him sleeping in the parking lot. He said he was waiting for his friend who worked at The Pickle. The officer told the male his friend was not around, as the bars had closed several hours ago.

The officer asked the male where he lived and was able to obtain an address. The male was able to answer basic questions and the officer found he was more aware of the situation than when he first woke up.

The officer helped the male get an Uber to take him home. She found that the Uber was having a difficult time finding their location, as the two were still in the parking lot. After telling the male to stay in the parking lot, the officer went to find the Uber, as it was only a block away.

After locating the Uber and advising the driver of where to go, the officer returned to the parking lot. The male was no longer there, and the officer was unable to locate him after searching the area.

The officer then departed from the area.

Kopke can be reached at [email protected].