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Law Roundup: Misunderstanding prompts police response

| October 12, 2022 12:00 AM

A motorist passing through Coram confronted a woman in another vehicle on the side of the road after spotting her hitting an unseen object. The man told dispatchers that he stopped and asked her if she was hitting a child. “Yes,” she allegedly replied.

Officers with the Columbia Falls Police Department who caught up with the woman found themselves confronted with a language barrier. Despite this, the woman explained that a man approached her in Coram and asked if there was a child in the vehicle. She told officers that she replied, “Yes.”

That cleared up some of the confusion. Helpfully, the woman explained that her grandsons were in the rear of the vehicle and at the time were screaming about a spider. The woman pulled over and hit the spider with her jacket. The two kids backed up the story and officers noted that neither sported any signs of injury or discomfort, though one reported throwing up because of car sickness.

Officers responded to the scene of a crash after a white Chrysler Pacifica collided with a bear. They handed the incident off to Montana Highway Patrol.

Authorities responded to Seventh Street for a reported disturbance involving a bunch of “canyon critters,” according to the person who phoned in the incident. Arriving officers learned that the disturbance involved a mother yelling at her daughter.

Officers came across a woman near the train tracks and let her know that she was on railroad property. The woman agreed to move along.

Someone flagged down a police officer and told them that a skinny man was throwing rocks at signs in the area near Nucleus Avenue. Authorities agreed to conduct extra patrols.

A Columbia Falls resident asked whether they could hunt a bear that was wandering around town for several days. Officers emphasized that hunting within city limits is illegal. When the would-be bow hunter, who had a bear tag, mentioned bringing that up to city council, officers told him that petitioning City Hall was the best way to see local ordinances changed.

A mother asked for help in locating her Ford Explorer, but did not want it reported as stolen. She let her son borrow it, but he refused to tell her where he left it. Officers later located the Explorer at a local coffee shop.

Authorities responded to Scenic Drive after a resident expressed concern about her neighbor’s burning habits. She suspected he was burning “rubbish.” Arriving officers found the man “burning things he shouldn’t be” and gave him a refresher course on city code. The man extinguished the blaze.