(AUG. 19-SEPT. 1, 2024)
8-19-24
At 3:56 p.m. Merrill Police responded to a single-vehicle crash resulting in the destruction of a stop light. City services were also contacted to repair the pole. At 7:09 p.m. Merrill Police responded to a report of a disturbance at a local hotel. An employee reported having problems with two guests who were staying there. Police determined the guests were willing to leave but had no other housing available. Solutions were explored.
8-20-24
At 1:57 p.m. Merrill Police responded to a shoplifting complaint in which the suspect was concealing merchandise as well as altering the price tags on merchandise. The suspect was contacted and cited for retail theft.
8-21-24
At 3:27 p.m. a crash was reported on E. 1st St. A vehicle had stopped for a pedestrian crossing the street. The vehicle behind did not see the stopped vehicle and rear-ended the stopped vehicle. A crash report was completed and the offending driver was cited for inattentive driving.
8-22-24
At 7:52 p.m. a caller reported three teenagers had been at a playground lighting fireworks and caught some grass on fire. The teenagers fled the scene and the caller was able to extinguish the fire.
8-24-24
At 1:55 p.m. officers initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle. During the traffic stop, the K9 unit was deployed on the vehicle and gave a positive alert. Drugs and drug paraphernalia were found inside the vehicle. One male from the vehicle was arrested on three warrants and local charges of possession of meth, drug paraphernalia, and unlawful use of person’s identifying information.
8-25-24
At 4:21 a.m. officers were dispatched to a property damage complaint at the Lincoln County Jail. A male party had broken the phone in the public entrance to the jail and had fled. Officers were able to identify the male but were unable to locate him. Charges will be referred to the District Attorney.
At 12:46 p.m. officers responded to a local residence for a report of property damage. It was determined a male who had fled from Merrill officers earlier in the month had slashed the tires of multiple vehicles. Officers were unable to locate the male.
At 3:54 p.m. officers initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle. During the traffic stop, the K9 unit was deployed on the vehicle and gave a positive alert. Officers searched the vehicle and found methamphetamine, THC, and drug paraphernalia. The driver was arrested for the drugs, paraphernalia, and bail jumping.
8-26-24
At 9:30 a.m. a business reported a raccoon in their parking lot that was acting strange. The raccoon left by the time officers arrived and was unable to be found.
At 12:17 p.m. a City Hall employee reported a suspicious bottle under a bench in City Hall. The bench was outside of the Probation & Parole offices and appeared to contain urine. It is believed a probationer likely placed it there to use for urinalysis for drug screening. The information was passed along to Probation & Parole. The bottle of urine was discarded.
At 3:23 p.m. a crash was reported on E. 3rd St. at Pier St. It was found a northbound vehicle on Pier St. did not stop at the stop sign and struck a vehicle traveling westbound on E. 3rd St. A crash report was completed and the offending driver was cited for failure to stop at stop sign.
At 3:42 p.m. a crash was reported in a business parking lot. It was found an unoccupied vehicle had been left in neutral and it rolled into another vehicle in the lot. No damage was reported.
At 7:48 p.m. a caller reported witnessing a female take her neighbor’s chair from his yard. The female was found nearby sitting in the chair. The female thought the chair was free, given its proximity to the curb. The chair was returned to the owner. No enforcement action taken.
8-27-24
At 12:25 a.m. an officer stopped a vehicle for a registration violation. The driver displayed characteristics of intoxication and a marijuana pipe was observed in the vehicle. The driver agreed to field sobriety tests and was subsequently arrested for operating while intoxicated. A search of the vehicle revealed a baggie of marijuana, as well. The driver was cited for possession of THC and drug paraphernalia.
8-28-24
At 3:14 p.m. officers initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle. The driver was arrested for operating after revocation and bail jumping.
At 5:51 p.m. officers initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle. One male fled from the vehicle and two other occupants were detained by officers. A large amount of methamphetamine was retrieved from one of the occupants after being placed on a hold by probation. The other occupant was arrested on a warrant.
8-30-24
At 6:32 p.m. a citizen flagged down an officer and turned over a debit card he found on the sidewalk. The officer was unable to locate the owner.
At 8:20 p.m. an officer assisted Lincoln County Sheriff Deputies at the scene of a suspected drug overdose.
At 10:58 p.m. a citizen flagged down a passing officer to report four juveniles had walked past his residence and one threw a rock at his window of his porch door, breaking the glass.
8-31-24
At 3:20 a.m. a caller reported a male attempting to get into his residence. It was found the man was quite intoxicated and had been invited to an after-bar party at a residence but was at the incorrect address. The man was warned for disorderly conduct.
At 7:49 a.m. a bicyclist found a set of keys lying in the roadway and turned them over to an officer.
At 10:32 p.m. an officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for which the registered owner had a revoked driver’s license. The driver, the registered owner’s 19-year-old son, was found to have been consuming intoxicants. The driver was placed through field sobriety tests and was arrested for operating while intoxicated. The passenger was also cited for underage drinking.
09-01-24
At 9:37 p.m. a crash was reported on E. Main St. at Pine Ridge Ave. It was found a southbound driver had proceeded through the green light and the driver on E. Main St. was not paying attention and proceeded through a red light. A crash report was completed and the offending driver was cited for failure to stop at red light.