Coulee Cops

Grand Coulee

12/22 - A man is being charged with malicious mischief and third-degree theft after he allegedly punched holes in a Hill Ave. woman’s apartment, threw binoculars at her, and, while at a nearby gas station with her, took the keys out of her car’s ignition, threatening to throw the keys, and her, into the river if she didn’t give him $20. The woman said she gave him $20 and he gave her the keys. Tribal police were in pursuit of the man who took off on foot, but he eluded them. Grand Coulee police spoke to the woman.

12/23 - There was confusion involving a woman receiving a call from her daughter, who was crying frantically. The woman thought her daughter was calling about her fiancé dying at a Ronald Street home. It turned out it was the daughter’s dog, not the fiancé, who had died.

12/24 - A vehicle blocking the northbound lane of SR-155 near the top of the dam needed a jump in order to get out of the way.

12/25 - Suspicious people were reported walking around with flashlights on Third Street in Electric City. Their car had broken down, and they were using flashlights in order to see as they walked.

12/26 - Officers responded to a one-car accident on SR-174 near milepost 18 that was reported by USBR Plant Protection.The eastbound car had left the roadway, struck the milepost 18 sign, hit a rock wall, continued 100 yards, and stopped on the shoulder. The car had a broken front axle, broken front grill, broken windshield on the passenger side, and three flat tires. Officers stood by while Washington State Patrol was en route and had to climb the hillside to get out of the way of another car skidding toward them. The car hit the guard rail and even with an officer’s patrol car.

12/27 - A 23-year-old man was taken to Grant County Jail on theft and burglary charges after allegedly stealing two bottles of liquor from Safeway. A man at Safeway said he saw the man stash the bottles in his coat and under his arm, then run away. An officer, hearing of this, saw a man matching the given description running near Spokane Way and Main Street. The officer turned the lights on in his car but the man kept running. The officer got out of his car and chased the man to near Loepps Furniture, where the man put his hands up. The officer took him to the ground and cuffed him, and another officer arrived. The bottles, valued at $60, were found near Spokane and Main.

12/28 - A U-Haul truck stalled while attempting to drive up the hill on Western Ave. past the Electric City fire station. The driver had roadside assistance with the rental of the U-Haul and police stood by until U-Haul was contacted.

12/29 - There was an intrusion alarm at the Electric City water tanks. An officer went to check on the area and noted that the snow was undisturbed around the tanks, and that nothing was amiss.

12/30 - While an officer was conducting local bar checks, a man with a prosthetic arm at Banks Lake Pub, who identified himself only as a Vietnam veteran, attempted to start a fight with the officer for no clear reason. The officer told the bartender the man needed to be cut off from drinks, and de-escalated the situation. The officer noted the man’s current drinks weren’t removed from his presence, and wants his report forwarded to the Washington State Liquor Control Board for further review.

Coulee Dam

12/16 - A woman wanting to leave a Pine Street residence with her baby said a man wouldn’t let her leave. The man admitted to standing in front of her, wanting to talk to her before she left. The officer helped gather some of the woman’s belongings, and left once the woman’s ride had arrived.

12/18 - A man was taken from the Coulee House Motel to Coulee Medical Center. The man was in a manic state and had also allegedly taken illegal drugs. Officers stood by as a mental health worker determined the man should be detained. The man eventually fell asleep at the hospital.

12/20 - An officer gave a woman a collision report to fill out. There is a dent in the woman’s passenger door she believes was from a hit-and-run in the school parking lot where she noticed the damage.