Law roundup: Chilling screaming prompts call to the police

Hearing disembodied screams on Fifth Street, a concerned resident phoned the Columbia Falls Police Department and asked for officers to meet them. The caller said they were located on a balcony and while they could not see the source of the noise, the screaming sounded as though it was coming from a man either in pain or under attack. The screams eventually turned to groaning.

A worried parent phoned authorities, telling them that her son got beat up over the weekend and had since lost track of his car keys. She hoped to talk with an officer and wondered if perhaps the police knew of the whereabouts of the keys. They might have been stolen, she suggests, but just as likely misplaced.

Officers searched unsuccessfully for a dog reportedly suffering a broken leg near 12th Avenue. A caller told the police that the animal, possibly a boxer, had been in the middle of an intersection, though it eventually waddled to the side of the road in search of shade.

Barking on Franlou Lane agitated a resident enough to contact the police about their neighbor. Dispatchers reported hearing the barking in the background of the phone call.

Officers moved along motorists in two vehicles hanging out beneath the viaduct.

A property owner requested authorities remove a Ford sport utility vehicle that was parking illegally, along with a trailer, on Diane Road. The landowner wanted it towed.

Dispatchers picked up a phone call only to hear the person on the other line cursing. It turned out the caller had accidentally dialed 911 while trying to get their Bluetooth working.

A Drift Water Way resident reported the discovering the theft of the catalytic converter from their truck. They were unsure of when the crime was committed.

A self-described victim advocate phoned police asking them to question the wife of a defendant in a homicide case about his whereabouts. They felt that would lead to the husband’s arrest. Officers contacted the Montana Highway Patrol as they handled the investigation.

Struggling to connect with a human being at the courthouse, a California resident trying to pay a fine phoned the authorities looking for help. They were unsure of the amount of the fine, but said they were ticketed for speeding in Columbia Falls. Planning to go overseas, they wanted to take care of the matter before departing.

Officers picked up a pink girls bike with white tires found on Nucleus Avenue.

A caller reported an alleged assault on a school bus that occurred the previous Friday and said they had video footage of the incident that investigators could review.

Officers investigated a report of a woman beating a dog with her belt in a white Jeep. Authorities tracked down the Jeep and spoke with the occupants.

A caller told authorities that someone tried to drop off a fraudulent prescription for a controlled cough syrup. The individual claimed to be the niece of the person with the prescription.