Police report: Man arrested for DUI after changing drivers

The Lovell Police Department received the following calls for the week of January 5-11:

January 5: 1:56 p.m. – A male caller reported that his French poodle had been picked up on West Main Street by a woman driving a car with 20 county plates. Missing dog was posted on a Worland classifieds website.

7:49 p.m. – A DFS worker called to report receiving concerning messages from a possibly suicidal individual. An officer attempted to make contact and offer help, but the individual did not want an assistance from law enforcement.

8:40 p.m. – A caller from another town reported that her ex-boyfriend in Lovell was making suicidal statements during a phone call. An officer responded and spoke to the individual, who said he was stressed out by life and current circumstances and made the comments out of frustration. He said he was not suicidal and declined assistance.

10:43 p.m. – A neighbor on Washakie Avenue reported a front door open at a residence. The owner was contacted and said that grandchildren must have left the door open.

January 6: 2:43 p.m. – An officer responded to a life alert alarm at Rose City West. The bearer of the life alert had hit the emergency button by mistake.

Police arrested Christopher John Chadwick of Cowley for a bond violation after he tested positive for alcohol while giving a required breath sample at the police department.

January 8: 9:59 a.m. – A caller reported nearly hitting two walkers wearing all black earlier in the area of Lane 11½ and Road 11½ on the southeast edge of town. Fortunately, the driver was paying attention upon cresting the hill and avoided the hard-to-see pedestrians.

11:41 p.m. – A resident with a cat in a private live trap was informed that the town could not take the cat to the animal control shelter because the trap was not set by the police department.

5:46 p.m. – A caller reported a man appearing to be intoxicated at the First Bank of Wyoming ATM on Main Street in Lovell, then urinating on the building. An officer made contact with the man, who was indeed intoxicated but had his mother in the car with him. The officer told the two that they needed to switch places, with the mother driving. They switched, and the officer observed the car driving on the wrong side of the street. The officer pulled the vehicle over again and spoke to the woman, who said she has trouble seeing at night unless she is driving on Main with helpful pavement striping. The officer followed the pair to Good 2 Go and saw them switch drivers again, with the intoxicated male once again at the wheel. The officer pulled the car over and arrested Merlin McClain, 62, of Byron for DUI.

9:57 p.m. – A resident of the New Horizons Care Center called to say she “wants out” and wants someone to pick her up. Dispatch called the nurses’ station to make the staff aware of the situation.

January 9: 4:32 p.m. – Concern was expressed at the New Horizons Care Center when someone took a resident out of the care center and had not returned. The resident was returned about 20 minutes later.

January 10: 1:57 p.m. – A “very upset” caller reported seeing a man who was walking three dogs around East Fifth and Montana kick one of the dogs in the ribs and smack the animal on the rear end with a leash. An officer reviewed security camera footage from a motel and did not see the apparent incident. A neighbor of the dog owner said the dogs were treated well, with no cruelty seen. Police will continue to monitor the situation.

January 11: 1:05 p.m. – A driver drove off at the Conoco Country Store without paying for fuel. The car vehicle was stopped, and the driver thought a passenger had paid for the gas. The person agreed to return to the store to pay for the gas.

1:10 p.m. – A caller asked for a welfare check on his brother, saying he had been unable to reach him for about a week. And officer responded to the brother’s apartment at the Lovell Apartments, and he was not home but was soon seen walking home from the supermarket and was fine.

Note: The above calls were received by the Lovell Police Department. Persons arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and charges made upon initial arrest may be amended or dismissed as determined by the County Attorney.