Responding to noise complaints and tending to alcohol-fueled disturbances appeared to be the main mandates for members of the Estevan Police Service this past week.
On May 19, EPS personnel were dispatched to a local residence in response to a noise complaint. After they knocked on the door, the fun began as the owner of the residence supplied the police with two different names and dates of birth followed by a verbal barrage of insults. When police informed the man he was being placed under arrest for obstruction, the subject attempted to slam the door shut and then attempted to walk away from police while other people in the residence tried to prevent police from carrying out their arrest. The main subject then actively resisted arrest while being handcuffed and removed from the scene.
The man in question now has a June 23 court date where he will face two charges of obstruction as well as a noise bylaw infraction.
In response to a Report Impaired Drivers (RID) call, EPS members attended a scene where a vehicle had been driven into the ditch. Police determined the driver was sober and that road conditions were the root cause of the incident that led to the vehicle sliding off the road.
On May 23, EPS members attended to three separate noise complaint calls with two of them coming from apartment buildings. In all instances, the residents were warned about the city's noise bylaw and no further action was required.
Another May 23 call led to police investigating a peace disturbance complaint coming from a local business where a large crowd had gathered. Alcohol was a factor in the event and the subjects involved in the disturbance were spoken to and advised to leave the area, while a second dispute between two women who were arguing was settled when police attended and spoke to the subjects of the debate.
During the course of the evening of May 23, EPS members conducted several traffic stops, which yielded one driver who was charged with being in possession of a controlled substance, marijuana and another who was given a 24-hour driver's licence suspension following a roadside breathalyzer test.
The next night police charged another male driver with possession of marijuana, and he is now scheduled for a June 23 court appearance.
A number of alcohol-related fights broke out within several lounges around the city on the night of May 24, with one participant requiring some attention from emergency medical service attendants following a fracas. He was later released into the care of a family member after refusing further medical attention at the hospital.
Another outburst involving two men at one lounge resulted in them being uncovered a second time in a different establishment. One of the combatants was escorted to his home to prevent further incidents, and the people who had been involved in the fights did not wish to have police proceed with any charges.
A report of fireworks being set off in a residential area of the city was looked into and while police did find evidence of the event, they were unable to determine who was responsible for the illegal activity.
Upon receiving a RID call regarding some patrons leaving a local lounge, police attended to the area and conducted some roadside breathalyzer checks and found the subjects to be sober or well under the .04 per cent limit that might have led to a 24-hour licence suspension.
A report of a fight breaking out in the central residential area of the city led to a police response. When they approached a young man to question him about the incident, the man suddenly ran away from them, so police found themselves engaged in a foot pursuit that led them through some residential yards, a business lot and across the railway tracks. The suspect was apprehended and placed under arrest and charged with resisting arrest. He will answer to the charge when he appears in court on June 28.
Police also noted that two vehicles had been damaged at the site of the fight, so the matter remains under investigation.
A man who was observed crossing the street near a local lounge while carrying an open container of alcohol, was charged for consuming alcohol in public. The fine for such an offence is usually $250.
A call was placed to police from a local lounge regarding a patron who had been asked to leave the building but kept returning. Staff informed officers that the man had returned to the bar at least three times after supposedly departing the premises. The man who kept sneaking back into the lounge was identified by staff and arrested then lodged in cells for the night. The fine for these types of actions is usually $360.
When two men attended to the police station to complain about their friend's arrest they were informed that their friend was going to be retained in cells until the morning, but the two continued to walk around the police station so they were arrested for being intoxicated in public and placed in cells with their companion but were not charged.
To add a little additional activity to their routines on the weekend, EPS members also responded to a couple of false alarm security breach calls at local businesses.
