Law roundup: Bartender receives sobering message from customer

Bartenders can deal with a lot, but death threats rarely go over well. The owner of a local watering hole phoned the Kalispell Police Department to see if they could handle an oddball patron, who usually communicated with employees with his phone. Recently he showed a bartender a message that read “sorry, sometimes I want to kill everyone around me.” Authorities told her to call back if he showed up again.

Officers responded to a report of a fight between a pugilist and a man armed with a stick. The stick-wielding man later told authorities he was robbed and his charger stolen. He turned down an offer of medical help, but asked to press charges against the other man.

Getting off work, a woman discovered that a vandal had keyed both the driver side and passenger side doors of her Chevrolet Tahoe. She reported the incident to her employer and began gathering surveillance footage to turn over to investigators.

The inhabitants of an alleged homeless encampment near Whitefish Stage Road were less than pleased when a person knocked on their tent and told them to move along. The person later told police that a homeless man inside threatened to kill him. Responding officers located three campsites, but all were unoccupied. Authorities planned to make another sweep in the coming days.

Worried about a friend who had gone incommunicado in recent days, a caller asked that officers check in on their acquaintance. Authorities tracked down the friend’s sister, who reported that the possibly missing individual likely was out running errands.

A caller reported seeing a man armed with a pistol walking around while waving his hands and talking to himself. Officers were unable to locate the individual.

Security personnel at the municipal court found a Crown Royal bag containing a glass jar with marijuana, a glass pipe and a lighter. Officers secured the items and slated them for destruction.

An employee reported a coworker for allegedly sending her aggressive messages, but otherwise refusing to communicate with her at work. Authorities suggested she talk to her supervisor, but she said that person was out of town. Officers walked her through the process of getting a temporary restraining order and recommended she call 911 if the disagreement grew physical or threatened to grow physical.

Officers came across a pedestrian strolling down the middle of the road and redirected the individual.

A caller reported possible animal abuse, telling authorities that someone had left a dog in a bus. Responding officers determined the dog was healthy, noting that the vehicle was parked in the shade and the windows rolled down.

A passerby spotted a homeless encampment and asked that officers break it up and move the inhabitants along. Authorities let the caller know that they would need the property owner to request such an action.

A neighbor concerned about the pack of dogs living next door asked that authorities scope out the situation. They told police that the animals were barking and lacked water. When officers arrived they found a minor house sitting for the owners. The minor told them that five of the dogs belonged to the property owner. Two more belonged to the minor’s sister, she said. Officers determined the dogs had water before giving the minor advice on how to cut down on the barking. They also informed her of the city ordinances addressing barking dogs and the limit on dogs in one residence.

Officers unsuccessfully tried to track down a woman allegedly screaming at passing cars.