GREAT FALLS — The Great Falls Police Department shared information on its Facebook page about several recent incidents that officers responded to; here are some of the highlights:
🚓 An officer observed a community member outside a retail store wearing a new pair of shoes with the price tag still attached. Upon contact the person admitted to taking the shoes without paying for them. The officer offered to pay for the shoes and the person was trespassed from the property.
🚓 Officers recently responded to two different reports of guns accidentally being discharged inside a residence. One occurred as the owner was attempting to clear the gun for cleaning and shot a bullet through the ceiling and into the attic, no one was injured. The second incident was investigated after an apartment dweller, who had been lying in bed attempting to sleep (at 3:30am), called 911 to report something had just come through their ceiling leaving a hole. The reporting party was not injured and the upstairs neighbor was cited for the accidental discharge of a rifle.
🚓 Officers were dispatched to check out someone following a community member. Officers found the occupants of the vehicle in question were playing Pokemon GO and, in their travels and attempts to fling Poke balls, they inadvertently followed another community member quite a distance and even ended up parking near their vehicle. After clearing up the confusion the officer noted the gamers remained in the area to “finish catching their Charizard or Bulbasar.”
🚓 A homeowner called 911 to report someone was trying to break in to their house. The homeowner said they heard the door handle rattle and saw a figure walk off the porch. Dispatchers advised the homeowner to put their pistol away as officers arrived. It was soon discovered it was the homeowner’s daughter attempting to sneak back in to the house.
🚓 Officer cited a teen driver for failing to stop at a stop sign. The officer noted the teen’s parent was in the passenger seat teaching the teen how to drive; they were both advised to leave the vehicle parked and walk home since neither had a driver’s license.
🚓 A passerby called 911 to report someone locked inside a bank downtown after hours. Officers arrived to find a community member had entered the ATM portico and could not get out due to a malfunction of the door. As dispatchers attempted to call a bank employee to respond, one of the officers (also a bank customer) used their ATM card to unlock the door and free the trapped customer.
🚓 911 dispatchers received report of a person swimming in Gibson Park pond. Officers found the person had gone out to the island to retrieve a dead bald eagle. The person advised they would stay out of the pond.
🚓 A concerned community member reported seeing a trail of blood leading to the door of an apartment. Officers determined a person in the apartment had cut themselves pretty badly while cutting some food and the blood trail occurred as they were headed to get help. (The person later posted on Facebook: "I learned my lesson, never using a bread knife to open a can again.")
Click here to read about other calls for service on the GFPD Facebook page.
