Police Blotter

Confusion and intrusion

McKenna Dirks

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April 5, 2022
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The following information was obtained from the UW-Eau Claire Police Department records.

Not one, not two, but eight offenses

On Aug. 29 at approximately 9:26 p.m., an officer was conducting stationary vehicle patrol eastbound along the 200 block of Water Street in a fully marked UW-Eau Claire squad car. 

The officer noticed a dark blue Nissan Sentra traveling westbound on Water Street and estimated that the driver was going 36 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone.

 He then made a U-turn when it was safe to do so, turned on his emergency lights and made a traffic stop. 

The officer approached the subject and explained why he pulled her over. When he asked for the subject’s driver’s license, she failed to provide it. 

Alongside the missing driver’s license, the officer had noticed the vehicle was registered under a temporary license plate, which had fallen off. 

The subject advised that she forgot to grab her license prior to driving. She also said she had not been paying attention to her speed, due to being tired from work. 

When the officer asked about her license plate, the subject said her temporary license plate had fallen off while going through a car wash.  

The subject said her license had been suspended due to failing to pay several fines.

The officer walked back to his car to register the subject and found in the Communication Center that this was the subject’s eighth offense for operating a vehicle while obtaining a suspension on her driver’s license. 

The subject was issued a citation for operating a vehicle while suspended, which resulted in a $200.50 fine. She was also issued a court hearing for this incident.

The officer informed her that she could not drive home from the traffic stop due to her suspended license. The subject assured the officer she would leave her vehicle on Water Street and proceeded to walk home. 

Rerouting: UW-Eau Claire or Interstate 94? 

On Sept 5, at about 9:07 p.m., a police officer was called to the area of Centennial Hall for vehicle assistance. It was later determined the area of assist was at 10 Garfield Avenue.

The police officer drove to the next location to find a Roehl semi truck and trailer. The truck was in the parking area next to Putnam Hall.

The driver, who obtained a Wisconsin driver’s license, said he was trying to get to Interstate 94. He said he got turned around near the State Street construction, and his GPS advised this was was a truck and bus route. 

The driver was now in a position that he was unable to turn around to head back through the Phillips lot to exit campus. 

He was unable to travel up the hill past Hilltop Dining Center because his trailer was too tall to pass. The driver attempted to make a turn going slightly up the hill, but while doing so, he hit the gate arm, that was in an upright position, only causing a sheer bolt to break.

He was then assisted by the officer and one other that arrived shortly after the first to back up onto Putnam Drive to an area near the Nursing building, where he could then turn around and exit campus.

The first police officer then gave the driver directions back to Interstate 94 and left the scene. 

Unwanted Visitor

On the night of Sept. 3 at around 9:24 p.m., a student resident of Sutherland Hall approached the hall director and said a male subject, who was not affiliated with UW-Eau Claire, had entered the residence hall without permission. 

An officer was contacted by the hall director to investigate the situation. 

The male subject was approached by the officer and was found to be the ex-boyfriend of subject 2, a resident living in Sutherland Hall. 

The male subject had bypassed safety rules by entering the building with another group of people. 

Subject 2 said she ended their relationship on Aug. 23. She said the male subject had access to her Snapchat account, in which she observed messages sent regarding her sleeping with her cousin. 

Subject 2 said she had been sexually assaulted by her cousin after her grandfather passed away several months ago. 

The male subject said he thought she had been lying to him about the incident and that she was cheating on him. 

Subject 2 said she had originally agreed to talk with the male subject regarding their breakup in August but was surprised to see him at her door. 

She also said the male subject had sent her a message referring to her as a “whore” and immediately deleted the messages. 

A citation for violating bypass security devices was issued at $200.50 as well as a court date. 

The officer advised subject 2 remove the male subject from all social media and to refrain from any contact. The male subject is no longer allowed contact with subject 2 and is prohibited from entering UW-Eau Claire’s campus. 

Dirks can be reached at [email protected]