RF Police: You kick it, you pick it

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A 22-year-old UW-RF student who was tossed out of a downtown bar just before 2 a.m. Friday took out his frustrations on a large sign outside that advertised $1 drinks. The student allegedly gave the sign the boot, knocking it over. An officer saw the kick, saw the sign fall and told the student to pick up the sign. No way, said the student. His friend offered to pick up the $1 drink sign. No way, said the officer. The sign picking up needed to be done by the kicker.

In the end, police say, the 22-year-old refused to cooperate and was forcibly arrested.

During booking at the police station, the officer said the student continued to “play games” and thus was driven toward county jail in Ellsworth.

Along the way, the student had a change of heart, asked for a second change to behave. The officer agreed, turned around and returned to the police station. The student was booked there, given a $177 disorderly conduct fine and released.

Police also:

--Arrested a 21-year-old River Falls man for marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession at his Fourth Street rental address at 12:40 a.m. Friday. A neighbor had complained about being kept awake by loud music and people coming and going there at late hours. An investigating officer told the suspect, described as drunk or high, that he could smell marijuana. No, said the suspect, that’s old news. Some guests who were smoking pot left his apartment hours ago. The officer kept poking around, allegedly finding a bong and pipe with marijuana residue, plus a glass jar with pot in the suspect’s front pocket. The drug evidence was seized. The 21-year-old was brought to the police station and issued fines totaling $344.

--Dealt with a 15-year-old city of River Falls boy on two different days last week at his house for disorderly conduct, battery and property damage. The boy had been suspended from school and was said to be deliberately harassing and provoking his father to a fight, telling an officer it was fun. He also allegedly used a knife to carve a threat and swear word on an interior door. The boy was accused of finally punching his dad and kicking him in the stomach. The incidents were referred to juvenile court.

--Are investigating a number of thefts and vandalisms to parked vehicles. A few even had windows shot out, apparently by BB gunfire: 300 block of North Eighth Street; Spring and Sixth streets; and 100 block of South Eighth Street. Also, an Eau Claire college student who was parked in Heritage Park found his car wouldn’t start Friday evening. He went to check on his street address while ordering a tow. When he got back, he found a backpack was stolen from his unlocked, stalled car. Inside the backpack was a computer, textbooks, flash drive and plastic folders. The student asked some teenagers congregated on the footbridge what they knew about the theft, even offering to pay them a reward if he could just get his things back. The teens said they knew nothing about the car theft and so the student, a linguistics major, was out of luck and also out several hundred dollars.

For more, please see Police Beat in the print edition of the Oct. 19 issue of the River Falls Journal.

Tags: river falls, news, crime