It turned out to be a busy week for Estevan Police Service personnel with a number of calls to respond to and a variety of patrols to make.
On April 28, EPS provided assistance for emergency medical services personnel who were dealing with a 54-year-old male diabetic in distress. They then turned their attention to a man who had turned himself in after failing to attend to a court order. The man had been released on conditions in Manitoba with the understanding he was to remain in Winnipeg, but he had breached those conditions, so was ordered back to Manitoba to obtain permission that would allow him to reside in Estevan.
On the April 28 night shift, police received a call regarding an intoxicated woman in distress at a local motel. When they arrived, the police determined the Manitoba woman had been in a dispute with a man and had fallen down some stairs after leaving the room. She suffered some minor injuries so was attended to by emergency medical personnel who then transported her to St. Joseph’s Hospital for further treatment.
Police were next alerted to a situation in which a 57-year-old Nova Scotia man was impersonating a police officer at a local business. The man had fled the scene in a vehicle prior to police arrival, but the real police officers were able to locate him and his vehicle a short distance away, however, when they attempted to stop him, he refused to oblige and led police on a short pursuit through the city where the patrol vehicle sustained minor damage when the suspect lost control of his vehicle while attempting to move around the police cruiser to elude the road block. The pretend police officer next drove down some railway tracks before getting onto the highway where he was finally stopped after losing control on Highway 39 west, near the Pioneer elevator turn, and getting stuck.
The driver was taken into custody without further incident and was to appear in court to face charges of theft of goods valued at under $5,000, impersonating a police officer, fleeing from police and dangerous driving.
On the night of April 29, EPS members responded to a fight in progress in the north central area of the city. On arrival, police found one sober combatant who left the scene, while the other suspect was arrested and later released into the care of his father.
During that same shift, EPS members discovered a couple of young offenders in the act of tipping over garbage cans on Third Street. The youngsters were directed to pick up the garbage that had been strewn on the street as a result of their activity and were later released into the care of their parents.
That same night, two unwanted guests at a residence were removed from the premises by police and charged with causing a disturbance and being intoxicated in public.
On April 30, police responded to two false alarms and conducted some curfew checks where they discovered one man was in breach of court orders. The man was spotted arriving home just as police were leaving so he was placed under arrest pending a re-appearance in court.
On the night of May 1, EPS members received a couple of RID (report impaired drivers) calls, so they went in search of the suspect vehicles. One vehicle in question could not be found, but in the second case, the vehicle was stopped and it was discovered the male driver was sober but had been driving in an erratic manner, so he was warned about his poor driving displays.
Police next responded to a security alarm set off at an east side business. When they arrived they discovered an unlocked door, but did not locate any people inside the building and were unable to immediately determine if anything had been taken. EPS members said they left the matter of inventory checks to the management and employees of the business who would report back to them if they discovered anything missing.
That same night police responded to a call regarding suspected drug use near a local restaurant and lounge on the north side of the city. When they arrived police discovered six men who all fled the scene as the police officer approached them. One suspect was caught and arrested and lodged in cells until sober, and he will now face a charge of resisting arrest by a police officer. Three others involved in the incident were identified immediately, so police will be setting out to arrest them unless they decide to turn themselves in. Police are also studying security video recordings from the lounge to verify identification of all the participants. Police noted they seized a quanity of cocaine along with a small baggy and some Canadian currency that was used for the consumption of the illegal drugs. The matter remains under investigation.
While police were engaged in the illegal drug seizure, they also noted a fight had broken out in the parking lot of this same lounge. One combatant was arrested while the second man fled from the scene. Witnesses assisted police in identifying the fleeing male who is also wanted for an investigation into some mischief incidents including damages inflicted on a door at the lounge as well as for assault. Police were unable to locate the man immediately but did recover his cellphone that had been dropped on King Street during his flight.
A noise complaint coming from Souris Avenue north was investigated by police and a search was made of that area as well as various sectors in the Hillside subdivision with no further incident.
On May 2, EPS members responded to a call regarding two people in the central part of the city throwing items at a man on a sidewalk. A foot patrol of the area failed to uncover any illegal or suspicious activity.
Police conducted several check stops on 13th Avenue that same night and while several vehicles were scrutinized, all were being driven by sober operators.
Police did respond to a vehicle collision report at Willow Park Greens later that night where occupants of the vehicle had fled the scene on foot. The driver and occupants of the vehicle, however, attended to the police station a bit later and police determined the people involved in the incident were sober and the single-vehicle collision had been the result of a mechanical fault in the vehicle’s braking system. No injuries were reported as a result of the accident.
A report of a motorcycle being driven in an erratic manner along Brooks Road was looked into by police that same night. The motorcyclist was not located.
One man was charged with being in breach of court-orders when police made a curfew check on the night of May 4.
Police then discovered a man clad only in boxer shorts, running on the streets in the central part of the city.
The man was encouraged to put his clothes back on by police and then a young woman offered to take responsibility for the free-range pedestrian, so police released him into her care. The couple left the scene in a taxi.
