Law roundup: Clown’s behavior no laughing matter

A motorist contacted the Kalispell Police Department after coming across a person in a clown costume while driving through town. The clown nearly jumped in front of the car in an attempt to get him to stop and began chasing the vehicle when the motorist kept driving. Though the driver did not make mention of any red balloons or sewer grates, he still told the police that he found the encounter “strange.”

A black bear was spotted strolling through the east side of town. It was first sighted heading north on Third Avenue before ending up near the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Fourth Street. The bear reportedly was herded toward Woodland Park. A little less than an hour later, authorities received a report that the bear was on the pedestrian bridge, though it left before officers arrived on scene.

A local woman turned to the police for help after her son ran away. The two were later reunited.

The same woman, or perhaps another mother looking for a runaway son, came across a woman sleeping in a vehicle parked along Fifth Street West. Suspecting the woman was on drugs, she contacted the authorities, who met up with the sleeping beauty. She told them she was fine, but they still escorted her home after securing her vehicle.

Officers headed to a motel to investigate a television that mysteriously turned on while the guest was out. The guest told police she was sure she turned the television off before leaving. Other guests had complained of items going missing — though her belongings remained untouched — so she had informed the manager about the television incident.

Ultimately, she decided to try and get a surveillance camera for the room. Officers encouraged her to contact them if she came across any evidence of wrongdoing or if she needed further help.

The manager of a local grocery store reported three individuals harassing another person outside of the business. Responding officers found a trio of men, though no victims, and moved them along.

A motorist reported confronting two kids he caught throwing PVC pipe after a piece of it landed on their car. The kids took off running down Fourth Street West, the motorist said.

A man looking for a ride set off alarm bells when he walked up to a vehicle in a parking lot and knocked on the window. The person in the car drove off a safe distance and phoned police, who tracked the man down. When he explained what he was doing, officers encouraged him to leave people alone and stay out of the road.

Police were asked to check in on a man spotted laying down in a field near a funeral home.

Someone reported a group of about 10 homeless people near the bike path, yelling and throwing things as well as acting generally aggressive. They appeared to be drunk “and getting drunker.” The caller was worried about other pedestrians passing the group. Responding officers found the location vacant.

Calling back a number that made an abandoned 911 call, dispatchers learned that the phone’s user was trying to demonstrate how to make an emergency call by shaking the device.

A resident called with questions about open burning as her neighbor had a fire going and the ash and smoke were overwhelming her. She described the burn as occurring in a controlled environment with no nearby flammable materials. Officers explained how the burning season works and told her there was little they could do about the fire. They later determined that the woman lived on the city limits and the burning was occurring out in the county.