Law roundup: Alleged fight turns out to be Hacky Sack game

Accounts of a beat down at a downtown Kalispell parking lot proved vastly exaggerated upon further review. Officers with the Kalispell Police Department were tasked with tracking down a group of teens after they were allegedly seen attacking a person en masse. Arriving officers found a gaggle of youths, but no sign of violence. Rather, the kids were playing Hacky Sack. The youths told investigators that they were playing around with a friend when someone spotted them, but there was no fight.

A school employee phoned authorities after spotting a camper parked on the street near the building. It appeared as though the inhabitants had camped out overnight, the caller told police. Officers determined the camper was legally parked and told the employee to call back if it moved onto school property.

Another caller asked if officers could take action on a trailer parked in front of their parents’ home. The position of the trailer was making it difficult for medical services, like hospice, to attend to their parents, they said.

An ex-boyfriend agreed to mail his former girlfriend’s jewelry to her after a conversation with the police. She had left the goods at his house and he had been saying for about a year now that he would mail the items to her.

Authorities barred an elderly male from a chain of supermarkets after employees allegedly caught him shoplifting. They then cited and released the man.

Someone called the police with questions regarding firearm storage ahead of a trip to Canada.

Worried about a friend possibly falling victim to poisoning, a man asked officers to perform a welfare check on her. She seemed fine when they last spoke, though, which was about 10 minutes prior. He told officers he would investigate himself, but the employees had barred him from the property. Arriving officers confirmed the trespass order and moved the man along.

Officers cited a woman for allegedly stealing from her employer.

Police cited another woman for allegedly stealing alcohol from a store.

A resident contacted authorities with concerns about a vehicle parked in front of a fire hydrant. Officers spoke with the vehicle’s owner and they agreed to move it.

A caretaker phoned police after discovering a couple sleeping in a shed on the property of a client. Neither had permission to be there. Officers barred the couple from returning.

Officers were unable to locate the suspect in an alleged robbery. The victim walked into the lobby and told investigators that a man pulled a gun on him and demanded his wallet. Officers responded to the Woodland Park area and later searched a nearby gas station and cemetery. Although they detained a homeless person for possibly being involved in the stickup, that individual was later released after investigators ruled them out as a suspect.

Authorities responded to a possible road rage incident that allegedly culminated with a man in a pickup truck pulling out a gun. They were unable to locate the gun wielding motorist.

A woman called police asking to go to the hospital. She said she was unable to walk after a piece of glass became lodged in her foot.

Someone accused a local tattoo artist of offering free ink work in return for sexual favors. She said the artist had approached herself and several other women with the deal. The artist refuted the allegations, telling investigators they had a female employee on hand whenever a woman came into the shop. They also had security footage of the store’s interior.