Police Blotter

Cooperating with the uncooperative

McKenna Dirks

More stories from McKenna Dirks

3rd and Vine
April 5, 2022
Police+Blotter

Photo by Submitted

Feisty Figurine 

An officer was contacted by Subject 1 via email regarding a post posted by Brother’s Bar in Eau Claire, on Facebook on Sept 10. 

Subject 1 said that the post was about hiding a figure on “campus.” The officer said they viewed the posting, which stated whoever found the figurine would be awarded a $100 Brothers card. 

Subject 1 requested that Brothers Bar be contacted regarding the post as UW-Eau Claire has a soliciting/peddling ordinance against such behavior. 

The officer said they traveled to Brothers Bar around 4 p.m. and made contact with the assistant bar manager, Subject 2. 

Subject 2 said they were aware of the contest. They said the bar was already planning on hiding said figure a distance away from campus property. 

Subject 2 said all marketing was done by their corporate headquarters. Their marketing department would be contacted to work to remove language identifying UW-Eau Claire from Eau Claire marketing Subject 2 said. 

Subject 2 said they understood the campus’ concerns with the post and said they would work to not have this become an issue again. 

The officer provided Subject 2 with their business card and thanked Subject 2 for their cooperation.

Lost, but not for long

An officer was dispatched to Governors Hall on Sept 13 at approximately 2:01 a.m. regarding a suspicious male subject near the main south entrance of the hall. 

The communication advised the officer to make contact with the complainant, resident assistant Subject 1, in the main lobby.

The communication center also said that a male subject had been attempting to gain access to Governors Hall utilizing the main south entrance. A description of the male subject at the time of the call was not provided by the complainants, the communication center said.

Upon arrival, the officer made contact with Subject 1 in the main lobby of Governors Hall. Subject 1 said that she had been walking within the Governors lot with several friends. She said while she had been walking, she heard a male subject yelling from within Horan Hall.

Subject 1 said that the unknown male subject then ran outside of Horan Hall from the northwest entrance. The unknown male subject approached subject 1 and her friends and proceeded to ask if they were “Bree.” 

Subject 1 said she continued to walk towards the main south entrance to Governors Hall after which the male subject followed. 

The male subject asked Subject 1 if she was a resident assistant and Subject 1 responded with, “Yes.” After asking so, the male subject asked if Subject 1 would let him into Governors Hall, to which she responded, “No.”

While Subject 1 was waiting in the main lobby, she observed the male subject standing outside of the main south entrance. She said she then approached the door. The male subject jumped after observing her and ran westbound towards the Crest Wellness Center after being spotted. 

Subject 1 described the male subject as a white male wearing a red hoodie sweatshirt and black shorts.

The officer then made contact with one of Subject 1’s friends, Subject 2, who said she had heard a male subject yelling from the third floor of Horan Hall when she was walking with Subject 1 and their friends. 

Subject 2 responded to the male subject by replying, “Hey” to find out which room the male subject had been yelling from. She said the male subject then approached a third floor window and said, “Hey, come up” and, “I’ll come down and let you in.” 

Subject 2 responded with, “No, thank you,” and observed the male subject run down the northwest stairwell of Horan Hall. 

The male subject then approached Subject 2 and asked if she was “Bree.” Subject 2 responded by saying no, to which the male subject asked then if she was a resident assistant, to which Subject 1 responded yes. 

Subject 2 said the male subject then backed off but continued to linger in the area of Governors Hall. Subject 2 also described the male subject as a white male with a red hoodie sweatshirt and black shorts. 

After speaking with Subject 1 and Subject 2, the officer exited the main south entrance of Governors Hall. As they were exiting, they observed a white male wearing a red hoodie sweatshirt, black shorts, and a backpack walking westbound from the main south entrance.

The officer observed the male subject turn around and look at them; they then turned around and began to walk away faster. The officer gave the male subject verbal commands to stop walking, but the male subject continued to walk westbound towards the Crest Wellness Center. 

The officer verbally commanded the male subject to stop, but instead he began to run. The officer then provided the communication center with their location and the direction of travel of the male subject.

The officer continued to give the male subject verbal commands while pursuing him on foot as the male subject ran behind the north side of the Crest Wellness Center and jumped the green chain-link fence that secured the UW-Eau Claire ropes course. 

The officer then observed the male subject jump a smaller metal chain-link fence located north of the ropes course. They then lost sight of the male subject due to the heavily wooded area. 

Four more officers were contacted in a 20 minute search on foot for the male subject, but were not successful in locating him. After 20 minutes, the first officer said the other officers could clear the scene. 

Contact was then made with Subject 1 and Subject 2 to provide an update regarding the case, the officer said. They said they answered Subject 1 and Subject 2’s questions before they cleared the scene. 

The officer said they continued to monitor the area around Horan Hall and Governors Hall, in the event that the male subject should return. 

On Sept 13 at around 6:20 p.m., a sergeant followed up on the case. They said they were advised to check swipe card access records for Horan Hall, and from those records, narrowed down the subject that ran from the first officer. 

The sergeant met with Subject 1 with a photo and asked her to identify the subject, and she confirmed that she was 85% sure it was him. 

The room in which the male subject lived was found on the third floor of Horan Hall, in which the sergeant went to confront the male subject about the situation. 

When they arrived at the male subject’s door, the sergeant identified themself and the male subject gave permission for the sergeant to enter his room. 

The male subject said he was the one who ran from the first officer. He said he did so because he knew it was an officer chasing him and he had been drinking and was underage.

The male subject said he had ran behind the ropes course and exited the wooded area somewhere behind Chancellors Hall. He said he was attempting to get some property back from inside Governors Hall, and that was why he was trying to get inside. 

The sergeant said the male subject was honest and cooperative while they spoke with him. Because of this, the sergeant explained to him the option to participate in the Eau Claire County Diversion Program, instead of receiving a citation or arrest. 

The male subject agreed to the diversion program and signed a form, while the sergeant gave him a copy. 

The sergeant answered any questions the male subject had and talked to him about his behavior in running from an officer and being uncooperative. The scene was then cleared, the sergeant said. 

Dirks can be reached at [email protected]