At approximately 6:45 p.m. on Feb. 20, after clearing from another call, an officer saw she had two missed phone calls and a voicemail on the primary squad phone. 

She listened to the voicemail in which the complainant said they needed help at Towers Hall because a bat was flying around the main lobby.

The officer immediately called the subject back. A female subject answered the phone and identified herself as the caller. The officer introduced herself and asked for additional information.

The complainant said she had been working the main front desk in the Towers Hall main lobby and initially thought the animal was a bird, but realized it was a bat.

The officer asked how long the bat had been in the lobby, and the complainant thought it had been about 15 minutes. The officer asked if anyone had come in contact with the bat, and the complainant said that nobody had been.

The officer said she would notify Eau Claire Police Department Community Service Officers Animal Control to assist, and that she would go to Towers Hall.

When she arrived, the officer made contact with the Towers Hall director near the T-store in the main lobby. She asked the director if there had been any reports of contact with the bat, and the director answered that she was not aware of any.

The officer informed the director that ECPD-CSO Animal Control was on their way to assist, and the director let her know the lobby was being cleared of all students.

The hall director agreed to cover each door with a resident assistant or staff member to keep any additional students from walking into the main lobby.

While waiting for Animal Control, the officer observed the bat flying back and forth across the main lobby, attempting to find an exit.

Each entrance and exit was accounted for, including the basement. The animal control officer arrived shortly after, and the officer explained the situation to him. The animal control officer said he would capture the bat and release it away from campus.

He captured the bat in a sealed bucket, and the officer told the hall director it was safe to re-open the main lobby. The hall director told her someone had had possible contact with the bat. The officer requested she have the student speak with the animal control officer and herself.

The student said the bat had brushed against his back as he was clearing out of the lobby but told the animal control officer that to his knowledge, he had not been bitten and no skin had been broken.

The animal control officer used his flashlight to look the student over and confirm there were no bites or saliva on him.  The officer notified the sergeant of the incident to confirm there were no further forms that needed to be completed.

The animal control officer informed the hall director that the Eau Claire County Health department would need to be notified if there were any further reports of people coming into contact with the bat.

The officer thanked the animal control officer for his time and help, then cleared the call.

Price can be reached at [email protected].