Coulee Cops

Grand Coulee

3/2- Two men on King Street were reportedly taking items from a residence and placing them in their vehicle. The driver of the vehicle explained to police that he had given a friend a ride to pick up some items. The friend used to live at the residence but had been evicted months prior. There were no locks or “no trespassing” signs on the residence. The friend tried to run from police but was apprehended. Police contacted the property owner, who wished to press charges. There wasn’t evidence that the driver had committed a crime, as he was just giving a friend a ride. The friend, however, was charged with trespassing. He explained he was trying to take his own items, including fishing poles, a table saw, and more. He admitted to being given time to get his items after being evicted and not doing so in a timely manner. Police decided, after hearing this, that trespassing was the crime he had committed, rather than burglary. He was free to go after being charged.

3/3 - A man was cited for speeding for 57 miles per hour in the 30 mph zone above the Grand Coulee Dam.

- Police collected a baggie of 81 pills in a baggie found on the outside doormat at Coulee Gas. The pills appeared to be Fentanyl. Police told a gas station employee they would attempt to get security footage related to the baggie.

- Police went to a Roosevelt Drive residence where a window on a door had been broken near the lock. The resident is in the process of moving out and nothing appeared to be taken. The landlord of the property was notified of the burglary. 

- A man was reportedly seen pushing his girlfriend to the ground and positioned above her at a Cardinal Road residence. The witness, who lives in the area, told him to get off her and leave. The man allegedly pointed a large knife at the witness, called him the “n word” and threatened him and his wife before leaving. Police were unable to speak to the woman who had been pushed down. The man faces the charge of assault as well as felony harassment for the threats he made. A police notice was made to locate him and his vehicle. The next morning he was found parked along Yakima Street, and after seeing police, walked towards Alcan Road. Police arrested him there. He had $738 in cash, 198 fentynal pills, and baggies. He denied doing anything wrong, after being told why he was being arrested, saying only that he’d pushed his girlfriend after she gave him a bloody nose. Police told him he was also being charged for having the pills and baggies, which are consistent with dealing the drugs. He said they were his personal drugs and that he wasn’t dealing them.

3/5 - Police helped keep the peace between a couple on Roosevelt Drive. The man had been kicked out of a residence he shares with a woman and wanted some of his items back. Police gave them advice on how to deal with other items over which there may be future disputes. 

- Police checked on a vehicle that pulled into North Dam Park near the upper ballpark after hours. The park is closed after dark. The driver was unlicensed, and the passenger gave a false name to police, and requested a ride to a place he isn’t allowed within 1,000 feet of because of a no-contact order between him and his ex-girlfriend. A licensed driver was called to take control of the vehicle. The passenger faces the charge of lying to police and for attempting to violate a no-contact order. The men were free to go.

3/6 - Police heard a man yelling at the top of his lungs outside the police station, walking towards Safeway. The man kicked over a container of aluminum cans. Police asked him what was going on and he said that he was mad and had mental issues. Police had him pick up the cans and there were no further issues.

3/7 - An overturned chair at apartments on Continental Heights was deemed suspicious. Police photographed the chair, located in the lobby, and saw screws near the chair, thinking maybe it was being worked on by a maintenance guy. Police turned the chair upright before leaving.

3/8 - A passenger fell out of the back of a truck traveling on a dirt road in the Pleasant Valley area. The passenger was taken to the hospital. There, police spoke to the owner of the vehicle who appeared intoxicated but said he drank alcohol after the incident. He said another person drove the truck to the hospital, but that person said she didn’t. Police forwarded the case to the county prosecutor’s office for review for possible charges of reckless driving, negligent driving, and/or giving a false statement.

Coulee Dam

3/4 - Police saw a vehicle driving north on Coulee Boulevard have trouble staying in its lane. They pulled it over near Spokane Avenue and SR-155. The driver started to get out of the vehicle, dropped his cell phone, went to grab it, and the car continued to roll as it wasn’t in park. The driver got back in and stopped the car. After speaking with the man, police determined he was driving under the influence of alcohol and charged him with driving under the influence. He provided breath samples showing an alcohol content of around .21, over the .08 limit. The man said he had been drinking “cheap” beer. He was taken home after being charged.

3/7 - Police went to Lake Roosevelt Schools where some kind of assault had allegedly occurred. No one wanted to press charges. Police left.

3/8 - A woman on Holly Street showed police where two screws were missing from her license plate, but the plate was still there. Nothing else seemed to have been “messed with” on the vehicle.

- Police investigated a possible vehicle prowl on Douglas Avenue and found that the person in the area was a postal worker and that no vehicle prowling had occurred.

3/9 - Police pulled over a vehicle near Coulee Boulevard and Miller Avenue because the vehicle had expired tabs, a broken headlight, and an improper taillight. The driver explained he didn’t have a license and needed to fix up the vehicle before he got his license. Police “cut him a break” about not having a license, for which the man was grateful, but did cite him for the headlight.