A glass disaster

At around 5:48 p.m. on Dec. 6, the Towers Hall Lot requested police service and an officer was dispatched. The Communication Center advised the officer that a large amount of glass in the middle of the Towers Hall lot had been reported by one of the resident assistants.

The RA suggested making a sharp left turn upon entering Towers Hall Lot since the glass would be located in the main middle aisle.

After following these instructions, the officer was able to locate the broken glass on the ground in the middle of the main parking lot aisle. The officer observed and took photographs of the scene, but did not find any vehicles in the area that were damaged by the shattered glass.

In order for drivers to continue using the main parking lot aisle, the officer removed the larger pieces of the glass and submitted a facilities issue service card for the remaining shards to be cleaned up.

No other issues were observed, so the officer cleared the scene. No new information is currently available, but the facilities issue service card was completed.

Rules of the road

On Dec. 8, an officer was parked in fully-marked squad No. 147 facing east on West MacArthur Avenue. While observing traffic, the officer was watching for stop sign violations that may occur at the intersection of Stein Boulevard and West MacArthur Avenue. 

A four-way stop sign controls this intersection, and it is visible from the road with no obstruction.

At around 9:48 a.m., the officer observed a white truck approaching the intersection. Traveling north on Stein Boulevard, the truck was estimated at a speed of 30 mph. The truck drove through the intersection without coming to a full stop at the stop sign, only slowing down momentarily.

The officer proceeded to pull into traffic and activate the emergency lights once caught up with the white truck. When the traffic stop was completed, the truck was identified as a Dodge Ram.

The officer introduced themself to the driver and explained why she was being pulled over. The driver of the white truck, who was identified by her driver’s license, refused to admit that she hadn’t properly stopped.

The driver explained that the truck was her husband’s, and she did not have any proof of auto insurance. After performing a record check on her, the officer found that she was valid to drive with no wants and not on probation. The Dodge Ram was also valid with no wants.

The officer wrote her a ticket for failing to stop at the stop sign. This included a bond amount of $175.30 with three points determined. With the citation, the officer also wrote a warning, since the driver did not have proof of auto insurance. 

Afterward, the officer answered any questions she had and concluded the contact.

Mystery 911 call

At around 12:45 p.m. on Dec. 8, an officer was dispatched to Davies Student Center due to a 911 call. The Communications Center told the officer that they had received a 911 open line call, but a person did not speak to them on the other end. 

The Communications Center explained they had only heard background noises, like rustling sounds. They received no answer even after attempting a callback.

Upon arrival at Davies Center, the officer observed the scene to be normal and did not find anyone in need of medical attention or police services while walking through all floors.

The phone number that had called 911 was not found to be listed to any UW-Eau Claire students, according to CampS. The officer informed the Communications Center of this information and cleared the scene. There are no new updates at this time.

Sinister smoke

At around 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 8, an officer was dispatched to Horan Hall for an assist fire call. The Communications Center reported that smoke had been detected in the hall director’s apartment. The hall director had pulled the fire alarm in order to evacuate the building.

Upon arrival at the scene, the officer spoke with the hall director, who claimed he had smelled something burning inside his apartment. The hall director then discovered smoke in his spare bedroom, called 911 and pulled the fire alarm. 

He was unsure if flames were present and did not know where the smoke was coming from.

Soon, fire personnel entered the hall director’s apartment and observed smoke as well as the smell of burnt plastic or rubber. Fire personnel searched the entire building, yet were still unable to determine the origin of the smoke.

Fans were used to clear the smoke and the odor as much as possible. Fire personnel also used their equipment to detect any natural gas or toxins present in the air, but nothing of concern was found.

Fire personnel requested that the officer reset the alarm and allow residents back into Horan Hall. The officer also contacted maintenance so they could determine that everything in the hall director’s apartment was working properly.

The officer cleared the call, the on-call mechanic was made aware of the situation and a service card was completed. The hall director was told to contact the Eau Claire Fire Department again if any odor or smoke came back.

Matczak can be reached [email protected].