A dangerous theft

A university police officer was called to assist the Eau Claire Police Department on a case occurring around 2:20 a.m. Friday Oct 2. Two male subjects were found trying to steal a construction barricade from the Water Street Bridge. An officer saw this happening from the surveillance cameras they have placed around the area and were sent out to the scene.

The two men were last seen running along the 100 block of Chippewa Street carrying the barricade. Officers were called to the scene to make sure the spot where the missing barricade had been did not create a safety concern since it is a dangerous area to start.

The officers did not observe any other damages according to the police report. They proceeded to lift each of the other barricades to spread them out to fill the empty space where the stolen  one had been missing.

Damage by drunkenness

A male subject who seemed intoxicated hit three parked cars in the north lot of HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital around 10:54 p.m. Sept. 30. The Commerce Center advised that the male subject had been revving his engine attempting to free his vehicle from a sign he had previously run over.

Sacred Heart security had gotten the man to turn off his vehicle while they waited for Eau Claire Police to arrive. Once officers arrived on the scene, they observed debris from cars and roadway signs scattered all over the ground according to the police report.

Cars had been pushed out of their previous parking stalls and a large amount of deep tire tracks were found in the dirt indicating wheels spinning repetitively.

The officer approached the vehicle and observed a security worker standing near the open driver’s side door. The officer could immediately detect the strong odor of an intoxicating beverage coming from inside the car.

The officer had to repeat himself multiple times to get the man to answer the questions he was asking. The man drifted off to sleep twice during their conversation according to the police report.

The man stated he was not injured in any way. When asked if he knew where he was going or why he had drove to the hospital he could not give an answer.

The officer stood by while the man performed Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. The man was then placed under arrest for a third-offense operating while under the influence charge.

Black eye and blacked out

A dispatch to University Police was made to Murray Hall around 12:30 a.m. Oct. 4 when an intoxicated male subject with a black eye was found. The officers were indicated to meet the Resident Assistant on duty in the lobby.

When they arrived on the scene and met with the RA, they were advised the man was brought home from Water Street by his friends. He was found passed out behind a bar according to the police report.

When the officers made it to his dorm room, they noticed he had an obvious black eye and knuckles that were red and swollen. They also noticed he was extremely intoxicated immediately upon contact. He had glossy, bloodshot eyes and dilated pupils. He spoke slowly and with slurred speech.

The officers asked the man what had happened. He advised the officers nothing had happened but was informed that his black eye and cut on his face told the officers a different story.  He then stated he didn’t want to get his friend in trouble.

He had informed the officer he had gotten in a disagreement with his friend but had no idea what happened. He wasn’t able to tell the officer what the disagreement was about.

The man was very adamant that he did not want to press charges and did not want the incident investigated, according to the police report.

The man advised he had been drinking off campus but was not sure of how much. He submitted to a preliminary breath test and a .26 sample was obtained. Medic 5 arrived on the scene and he was transported to HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital.

The officers issued the man an underage drinking citation. The man apologized to the officers while at the hospital for wasting their time.