Law roundup: Man insists he owns the road
A very aggressive Columbia Falls man allegedly kept screaming “I own this road,” and “I’ll come back out with a gun,” to a woman over an incident involving a dog running loose and getting into things. The woman saw no other option but to take One Way Road back home. Parties were separated and counseled by the Flathead County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies and Smith Valley Fire Department responded to a structure fire on U.S. 2 on Sunday. No one was home at the time. A cat was taken to Flathead Pet Emergency.
A man was “hollering nonsense” on U.S. 2 in Kalispell.
A woman on Echo Lake Road in Bigfork was scared when she reportedly heard someone pound on the door and yell.
Deputies responded to a call from Newbury Circle in Evergreen about a dog that allegedly was being left outside on a line “all the time.” Water or shelter wasn’t visible to deputies from someone’s backyard other than a deck the dog was able to get under partially on a day where it was 13 degrees outside. Deputies left a notice for the owner to contact them about the concern.
A Van Sant Road resident’s trees reportedly were girdled.
A man on U.S. 2 in Columbia Falls allegedly swore at dispatchers and demanded deputies pick up his dog because it wouldn’t listen to him and he couldn’t catch it. He said he has called several times in the past for someone to come pick up his dog and no one would. Deputies made contact with the man and explained he was advised in the past to take the dog to the shelter, which he allegedly wanted to do, but his wife didn’t.
Someone on College Avenue in Kalispell gave a man a ride to his hotel room and told him to call if he needed another ride. The person became concerned when they learned law enforcement was looking for him and the man kept contacting them and then showed up at their residence. When officers responded, he started running and jumped a fence, but didn’t get far.
A Kila resident reported the front door to a neighbor’s home was cracked open and the residents weren’t home. Officers cleared the residence and didn’t see any footprints in the snow.
Whitefish Police Department received a request from a passerby to check on an elderly, haggard-looking man who appeared to be intoxicated and allegedly fell into a snowbank. The passerby said they asked if he needed help, but he said he was fine and was heading home.
A Baker Avenue resident called 911 to report that “another creepy person” drove past their house and hung up. They were advised to call the non-emergency number.
A parent called to report their son left his backpack containing a school-issued Chromebook at Depot Park and it was gone when they went back to check the area the following day.
A man was concerned there was a squatter living in a Wisconsin Avenue residence when he saw the lights on despite securing the property.