09 19 14 JTF1
The latest from the Mendota Heights Police Department
CHIEF
Mike Aschenbrener
SERGEANT
Eric Petersen
POLICE OFFICERS
Jerry Murphy
John Larrive
Bobby Lambert
Tanner Spicer
Todd Rosse
Jeff Vonfeldt
Steven Meyer
Denise Urmann
Michael Shepard
Peyton Fleming
Nick Gorgos
INVESTIGATIONS
Chad Willson
SCHOOL RESOURCE
OFFICER
Jennifer Fordham
SUPPORT STAFF
Kim Henning
Trista Miller
Lisa Brandt
Becky Pentel
RESERVES
Randy Pentel
Jim Knox
Jeff Parker
George Castillo
CHAPLAINS
Frances Cuenca
Joel Detlefsen
Lynn Liberman
Butch Millett
Sue Plucker
John Snider
David Wick
SEPTEMBER 19 2014
Deer vs. Motor Vehicle
It’s that time of the year again, chill in the air and leaves changing color. As much as I like to
see the bright fall colors, I also enjoy seeing an abundance of roaming deer this time of year.
A s b e a u t i f u l ( a n d f o r s o m e o f u s , t a s t y ) a s t h e y a r e , d e e r c a n be a nuisance and very
dangerous to drivers on the roads and highways. After you call 911, there are several
questions that will arise (but your ϐirst one shouldn’t be “What meat processor should I
take it to?”) If you hit a deer, you should move your vehicle out of the roadway, as your safety is
paramount and a stationary vehicle in the middle of any road puts you at risk for injury. If
your vehicle can’t be moved, exit your vehicle and go to a safe area and call the police. If it is
extremely cold outside, call the police from inside your vehicle and wait for us to arrive. We
will give you a nice warm vehicle to sit in.
97A.502 DEER KILLED BY MOTOR VEHICLES.
(a) Deer killed by a motor vehicle on a public road must be removed by the road authority, as deϐined
by section 160.02, subdivision 25, unless the driver of the motor vehicle is allowed to possess the
deer under paragraph (b). The commissioner of natural resources must provide to all road
authorities standard forms for statistical purposes and the tracking of wild animals.
(b) The driver of a motor vehicle that has collided with and killed a deer on a public road has priority
for a possession permit for the entire deer if the facts indicate that the deer was not taken illegally.
On Saturday, September 13th, more than 160 participants participated in the 1st Annual
Law Enforcement Plane Pull which was held in the Delta hangar at the Minneapolis/St. Paul
Airport. This event was to raise funds and awareness for more than 8,000 Special Olympics
Minnesota Athletes. 18 teams of up to 8 people competed to pull a 30,000 pound Delta jet a
distance of 25 feet across the tarmac in the fastest time! A handful of our fellow law enforcement neighbors formed a team in dedication to our
Fallen Ofϐicer Scott Patrick, coming in with a ϐinal pull time of 13.30 seconds and raising
$3,240. The winning team pulled in approximately 11 seconds. The event was a success
raising over $29,000 for Special Olympics Minnesota (not to mention a good time)!
WSPPD ‐ Officers JusƟn Bowman, Patrick McCarty, Audra Rawlings, Elyse Wood, Reserve Officer Delci Merrell
SSPPD ‐ Reserve Officer Randy Graff
DCSO ‐ Deputy Coreen Kulvuch
RCSO ‐ Deputy Nicole Neudecker
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For more information: CLICK HERE:
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T h e f t o f G a s T h u r s d a y 1 1 : 4 9 h o u r s
Sergeant Eric Petersen was dispatched to a local gas station on a theft of gas report. Employees were able to
get a license plate of the suspect vehicle yet the registered owner does not match that of who pumped the gas.
The suspect vehicle was used in a few other gas drive off cases so a letter was sent to the registered owner.
Case pending.
Motorist vs. Bicyclist Thursday 15:26 hours
Officers Todd Rosse and Bobby Lambert along with Sergeant Eric Petersen were dispatched to a local
elementary school concerning a personal injury accident involving a bicyclist and a motorist. The driver of
the vehicle stated that as she was turning into the school parking lot, a bicyclist came out of nowhere and she
did not have enough time to react which resulted in her colliding with and throwing the bicyclist from the
bike. The bicyclist had a few abrasions to his knee and was conscious and breathing but was transported to
the hospital to get checked out because he was not wearing a helmet. No citations were issued.
T h r e a t s T h u r s d a y 1 7 : 0 3 h o u r s
Officer Michael Shepard was dispatched to call a complainant regarding threats. Shepard made contact with
a business manager who claimed she had given a male employee a routine urine/drug test and heard from
another employee that he used fake urine to pass the test, resulting in him being suspended from work. The
employee then made threats to his manager so he was ultimately terminated. No citations issued as the
manager wanted to report it for informational purposes only.
DAS/Warrant Monday 15:33 hours
While on routine patrol, Officer John Larrive ran a license plate and it came back as suspended. The driver
appeared to be the registered owner. Larrive stopped the vehicle and the driver admitted to not having a
drivers license and possibly having warrant. A Ramsey County felony warrant was confirmed and he was
handcuffed and brought to Ramsey County Jail to satisfy the warrant. The driver was also issued a citation
for DAS and the vehicle was impounded.
Traffic Stop/Felony Drug Tuesday 02:29 hours
While on routine patrol, Officers Nick Gorgos and Tanner Spicer observed a vehicle with no tail lights on.
They stopped the U-Haul truck to notify the driver that the tail lights were inoperable. In asking several
questions, the driver and passenger seemed fishy. The passenger had on her person an ID of someone else
and had a previous forgery charge. With all of the suspicion, a K-9 unit was called to the scene to do a check.
Underneath the hood of the truck was a container with newspaper stuffed in it and a magnet to secure it to
the metal portion of the hood. Within were 4 small baggies of a clear crystal like substance and several debit,
credit and medical cards of another individual. The two were arrested for felony drug charges; case pending.
DUI/Disorderly Conduct Tuesday 19:28 hours
Officers Peyton Fleming and Todd Rosse were dispatched to a local bar on a disturbance call. The
complainant, the bar manager, stated the male party was throwing peanuts at a woman and making threats to
her and her boyfriend. He was physically removed from the bar, last seen driving off on his motorcycle,
intoxicated. Officers searched for the motorcycle but then received a call that the motorcycle had just
returned to the bar. Officers approached the driver who stated he had been assaulted by the bouncer and his
throat hurt. It was clear he was intoxicated as he smelled of alcoholic beverage, slurred speech and bloodshot
eyes. He refused a PBT and was taken to the PD to perform SFST’s which he failed. He was arrested for DUI
and Disorderly Conduct.
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T h e f t W e d n e s d a y 1 3 : 2 7 h o u r s
Officer John Larrive was dispatched to a home on a theft report. In speaking with the two victims, a father
and daughter, they stated that the son/brother was just in the home where he is not welcome anymore and
stole $100 from his sister and a mountain bike from his father. A message as left with the suspect. Case
pending.
Suspicious Person/Mental Health Hold Wednesday 14:10 hours
Officers Peyton Fleming and John Larrive were dispatched to a local cemetery on a suspicious person call.
Upon arrival, they located a female who was wearing only one undergarment and a small wrap to cover her.
The contents of her vehicle was thrown out onto the lawn. In asking what she was doing, she stated she had
dropped her boyfriend off for work and then stopped to design a dress for him. After several more questions
and incoherent statements were given, it was ultimately decided that a mental health hold should be placed
on the female.
Abandoned Motorcycle Wednesday 15:45 hours
Sergeant Eric Petersen was dispatched to a wooded area on Hwy 13 in reference to a motorcycle in the ditch.
The motorcycle was located, plates were gone and it looked like it was completely stripped. The VIN was ran
and Petersen found a registered owner. He attempted to obtain a phone number with no success so sent a
letter to the registered owners address. Motorcycle was towed.
Personal Injury Accident Wednesday 17:10 hours
Officer Nick Gorgos along with Sergeant Petersen responded to a motor vehicle accident at Pilot Knob Road
and Mendota Heights Road. In speaking with driver #1, she stated that she had right shoulder pain and
could not remember how the accident took place. Driver #2 was not injured and stated he was traveling
through the green light at the intersection when Driver #1 turned onto Pilot Knob Road striking him. Both
vehicles were inoperable and were towed.
Damage to Property Thursday 17:47 hours
Officer Peyton Fleming responded to a residence on a property damage report. In speaking with the
homeowner, he stated that his home had been hit by pink colored paintballs. He stated that this wasn't the
first instance and that it had also occurred two other times in the past couple of days. The paintballs stained
the stucco of the home. No suspects.
Have a great week!
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Join the
“It Can Wait”
movement!
Friday, September 19th
will be the 3rd annual
day of acƟon and we
need your help to spread
the word. The goal is to
change behaviors and
offer soluƟons for safe
driving. Introducing:
#X
...a shorthand tool that
has been introduced to
noƟfy the other party
that you are driving or
about to drive and
cannot respond unƟl you
arrive safely at your
desƟnaƟon.
Adding the #X symbol in
the middle of a text
message, email or social
media convo will noƟfy
the other person that
you are temporarily
pausing the conversaƟon
and you will respond
later.
Give it a try,
stay alive!
Please send us your
positive feedback
on our staff to:
pdrecords@
mendota-heights.com
Your feedback is greatly
appreciated and helps boost
the morale of our staff.
09/12—09/18 2014 YTD
Calls for Service 135 5,790
Citations 5 857
Warnings 19 690
Police Reports 18 683
Response Time Average 7.30 5.81
If you are a Mendota Heights resident and you are going out of town or on
vacation, you can notify MHPD of your outing and we will be more than
happy to keep a watchful eye on your home while you are away. The House Check
Request online form is available on our website; we have similar forms in the
MHPD lobby and we will take your info over the phone.
MHPD offers monthly Car Seat Safety Checks. To schedule an appointment,
call 651.452.1366 to contact Ofϐicer Jennifer Fordham.
MHPD has a Medication Disposal Box in the lobby of the PD where Dakota
County residents can safely and anonymously dispose of their prescription drugs
and over‐the‐counter medication.
Check out the MH Crime Map!
Click below to search your neighborhood:
https://www.raidsonline.com
1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights, MN 55118