A look at the law enforcement log for June 2020

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office shared a brief report of calls made to the Cook County Law Enforcement Center through the month of June. WTIP requested more information on a number of the incidents logged by law enforcement dispatchers.

June 9
10:29 a.m. A tree was down on the lakeside lane on east Highway 61. The call was referred to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
10:34 a.m. Assistance was requested in keeping the line for the Cook County Recycling Center from blocking the Grand Marais Fire Department driveway. Barricades were moved to make it clear the driveway should be kept open.
11:55 a.m. A party in Tofte called to report that his neighbor yelled at his girlfriend about their dog. When a deputy spoke to the parties, it was learned that the dog in question was not leased and urinated on the neighbor’s front porch, as well as the neighbor’s dog.
11:58 a.m. The sheriff’s office received a report of a suicide threat. The person was located in Lake County and Lake County handled the call.
12:26 p.m. A party reported a violation of an order for protection. The party does not know the person, but the individual is writing harassing messages to her on Facebook. A deputy visited the person’s home and it appeared they were home but would not come to the door. A citation was left at the door.
1:05 p.m. There was a crash at the temporary stoplight at the intersection of 5th Street (County Road 7) and West 2nd Avenue. See related WTIP report here.
1:11 p.m. A caller requested a welfare check for a hiker with a sprained ankle. An ambulance is not needed, the woman has a ride coming, but the caller would like to have the sheriff’s office make sure she is okay. The hiker was given a ride from Judge Magney State Park to Grand Marais.
1:21 p.m. A stray dog was found on east Highway 61. It is a female black dog with a white face. Animal Advocates has the dog in the pound. The owner was found and reunited with the dog, Harper.
3:34 p.m. A caller said trucks and vehicles are driving really fast by her house on East 5th Street. The party asked if the sheriff’s office could put up the speed trailer to slow traffic down.
3:36 p.m. The sheriff’s office took a complaint of a dispute over property line signs in Schroeder.
8:21 p.m. A deer hit by a car south of Hovland needs to be dispatched. When the sheriff deputy arrived, there was no sign of the deer.
8:56 p.m. A domestic disturbance call was made and upon response, a male party was arrested and charged with obstruction.
9:13 p.m.There was a report of a black Ford pickup peeling out on West 4th Street in Grand Marais. No matching vehicle was found on patrol of the area.

June 10
10:50 a.m. There was a report of a missing white, female German shorthair dog named Sadie. The dog went missing in the Tettegouche State Park, but Sadie is a runner and could be anywhere. A call was received on July 19 reporting that Sadie had been found.
2:07 p.m. A party called to report that some dogs that visit his yard every couple of days were back. They show up every couple of days. He said if they come back he will give him treats.
2:40 p.m. A party became trapped in the parking lot on Onion River Road by a fallen tree. She has a ride home, but will have to leave her Prius in the lot for now. The US Forest Service was contacted and will remove the tree.
4:45 p.m. A motorist reported being backed into by another driver on Wisconsin Street in Grand Marais.
6:34 p.m. There was a report of a tree down on Greenwood Lake Road. A deputy removed the tree.
8:52 p.m. A 2009 Volvo sedan hit a deer. There were no human injuries, but the deer was killed. There was significant damage to the car. North Coast Towing was contacted to tow the car.

June 11
2:04 a.m. There was a report of trees down on the Gunflint Trail, just south of Trail Center, blocking both lanes. There is another tree down on Clearwater Road. The call was referred to the Cook County Highway Department.
2:21 a.m. A deputy saw two men standing outside Sven & Ole’s Pizza in the alley. The deputy talked to the men who were doing some tile work after hours at the restaurant.
11:02 a.m. A collision between a vehicle and a John Deere Gator side-by-side ATV was reported on Stonegate Road in Hovland. There were no injuries, but the owner of the Gator wanted a report in case of any medical issues that come up.
2:47 p.m. A caller reported an old, silver Toyota-type vehicle parked in the same spot for the last few days. A deputy checked, it looked like the vehicle was parked there on purpose. It is backed in, off the road and secured. The deputy will check tomorrow to see if it is still there.
3:52 p.m. A Forest Service employee came across a tree down on a road. They tried, but are unable to move it. It’s an 8 ½-inch diameter tree. Cook County contacted the Cook County Highway Department to remove the tree.
8:07 p.m. A caller reported a lost 9-year-old male from the beach in front of the Trading Post. While on the line with Cook County dispatch, the child was found and is okay.

June 12
2:45 a.m. A call came in for a check welfare for an elderly person who pressed a help button. The person thinks there is someone in her house. Cook County Public Health was contacted and was able to calm the individual. A family member is coming to stay with them tomorrow.
7:00 a.m. A party called to check if a wallet lost two weeks ago had been turned in. Cook County has not had a matching wallet turned in.
10:42 a.m. A party called to report a possibly slashed tire on a silver Subaru in Grand Marais. They would like a deputy to check it out. A deputy confirmed that it appears the tire was purposely punctured.
11:57 a.m. A party dropped off a license plate they found in the middle of the highway. The registered owner was notified and came in to pick up the plate shortly after.
12:34 p.m. There was a report of a possible abandoned vehicle, a small silver Ford station wagon. The sheriff’s office informed the caller that it can be towed at the expense of the owner. The party asked if the sheriff’s office could try to contact the owner. The sheriff’s office was able to reach the party who was having some mechanical issues. It should be gone by tomorrow.
2:14 p.m. A party called to report problems with a neighbor’s dogs in Schroeder. The dogs have been using their yard as a bathroom and have torn up the property owner’s garden. The party has talked to the dog owners in the past.
3:52 p.m. A party called saying they had problems activating their burn permit. Cook County gave them the local Minnesota Department of Natural Resources phone number and said callback if the number doesn’t work. There was no callback.
4:17 p.m. A party called to talk about damage to an elderly family member’s property. The sheriff’s office had been to the home on a welfare check and had to force the door open. The party was fine with that, but wanted to confirm that was the case.
5:16 p.m. A party stopped by the Law Enforcement Center to express concern about a party that has been visiting his business in Grand Marais. It appears the person is living in their vehicle and they are acting strange.
5:41 p.m. A concerned citizen called to say the stoplights set up for the Highway 61 construction are not timed properly. They don’t allow enough time between switching to let vehicles trying to leave business driveways to safely exit. Cook County spoke with MnDOT project manager Ed who said he has heard this complaint frequently. He said it is believed the lights are timed correctly, but a technician will be coming up to double-check. He added that vehicles looking to exit should wait and turn immediately following the trail of one-lane traffic. He said people need to slow down and be mindful of others pulling out.
8:42 p.m. Parties were found camping at site 23 in the Two Island Campground, which is currently not allowed. Parties were told they were trespassing and asked to leave. They did so cooperatively.
11:59 p.m. There was a report of two individuals trying to enter a lodging establishment in Grand Marais. The sheriff’s office was able to reach the night person there. The men were intoxicated and said they lost their hotel key. The night manager checked IDs and confirmed that they were guests. They were allowed in. A ½ empty bottle of beer was found on the men’s vehicle. It was poured out and disposed of.

June 13
9:26 a.m. An old female black lab showed up at a house on South Shore Drive. The dog was turned over to Arrowhead Animal Rescue.
9:44 a.m. A party walking their dog near the Devil Track Campground saw a Coleman tent pitched in a site. The campground is closed. A deputy located the party, which was packing up and told them they were not allowed to camp there.
12:03 p.m. The intoxicated parties who had difficulty getting into their hotel room last night were being asked to leave instead of staying another night. They caused damage to the room. The manager asked if a sheriff’s deputy could be on standby in case there were any problems. The manager called back at 12:52 p.m. and said the parties were cooperative and were leaving shortly.
12:30 p.m. A party called to report that his 14-year-old nephew had been missing for a couple of hours on East Highway 61. He was last seen hiking with his mother. Emergency responders were paged and prepared to search when law enforcement received a call at 12:50 p.m. that the boy had been found by his sister on the trail.
1:26 p.m. Training was conducted with Cook County K9 Eddy. Eddy was tasked with finding several items in a field. Eddy alerted successfully. He also located a box of items placed the previous day. He also worked an obedience course, doing the broad jump, crawl, hurdles, catwalk, and down stays.
3:15 p.m. A motorist reported hitting a deer on Clearwater Road. There was damage to the left bumper and turn signal. The party requested a report for insurance purposes.
3:26 p.m. A call came in to dispatch a car-injured deer. When the deputy arrived, the deer was deceased.
3:52 p.m. A male party was spotted at the entrance to Grand Portage State Park with a bunch of stuff. He headed up the High Falls trail and came back to the visitor’s center for water with nothing. It appeared he planned on camping at the park, which is not allowed. A sheriff deputy located the man and told him camping is not allowed and that he must leave the premises when the park closes for the day.
9:41 p.m. A party called to report someone getting assaulted. The party said they are aware of this via a video chat.
9:55 p.m. A party called from Grand Marais reporting that a “drunk guy” smashed into her yard and her truck. Cook County Fire, First Responders and North Shore Ambulance were paged. The driver refused medical attention. A male party from Grand Marais was arrested for driving under the influence.

June 14
9:19 a.m. An emergency 911 call came in from Tofte and Cook County dispatchers were unable to return the call to confirm that help was not needed. Numerous call attempts were made and sheriff deputies were asked to respond. At 9:46 a.m., the dispatcher was able to reach a party at the address who said a child had been playing with the phone. There was no emergency.
11:18 a.m. More training was conducted with Cook County K9 Eddy.
12:02 p.m. A caller found a wallet on a bench at the Grand Marais Skate Park. They told the sheriff’s office they left it there. A deputy picked up the wallet and was able to contact the owner, who was able to come to pick it up.
1:33 p.m. A male party hitchhiked to Grand Marais from the Otter Lake area. He was hiking there but realized the trail was a bit too rugged and his pack too heavy, so he hitchhiked to Grand Marais and was looking for a ride up the Gunflint Trail where he left his car. Someone told him to go to the sheriff’s office. Cook County called around to transportation services. They were either unavailable or too expensive. Cook County agreed to give the man a ride to Gunflint Lodge.
1:36 p.m. A party reported a wallet lost somewhere around the Grand Marais harbor the day before. The wallet was last used at the Donut Shop.
2:33 p.m. Rio, a beagle/hound mix, with a brown collar was reported missing. The dog owner called back at 3:31, Rio had been found.
3:27 p.m. The manager at Grand Portage State Park called to say the person who was asked to leave the area at closing last night did not leave. It appears he slept overnight in the bathroom of the rest area. The man is walking around the park asking people for cigarettes. A deputy responded and escorted the man off the property and said he could be arrested for trespass if he returned.
5:30 p.m. A deputy found a gray Ford Fusion in the ditch ¼ mile south of Hollow Rock Road with damage to the front passenger side. Cook County was unable to reach the registered owner. No keys in the ignition, no odor of alcohol or any illegal substances in the car. North Coast Towing was contacted to tow the vehicle. The car will be released if the owner provided proof of insurance.

June 15
A wallet was found in the Cook County Highway Department parking lot and turned into the law enforcement center. Cook County contacted the wallet’s owner and they came in to claim it.

June 23
2:58 a.m. A party called stating she had surgery a few days ago and now has a lot of bruising wanted to see if it is something she should be worried about or not. Cook County got her information and passed it onto the hospital so they could talk with her.
11:01 a.m. A squad car is out of commission for a while, it blew a tire. The deputy radioed that the tire has been changed and the squad car is back in service at 11:20 a.m. The tire will need to be replaced; it is shredded.
11:07 a.m. A caller wanted to report a dead deer off the road and in the grass. The caller doesn’t know what to do with it and hasn’t been able to reach a game warden. They don’t want it to remain there. Cook County called the Minnesota State Patrol dispatch. They will have MnDOT remove the dead animal.
1:25 p.m. A party just checked messages and had received a call for help from a party on the Gunflint Trail. The party asked if the sheriff’s office could check on this person, who may be drinking. Contact was made the individual was okay.
1:34 p.m. A motorist called to report that a white semi passed them at 60 mph in the Cascade 40 mile per hour zone. Information was shared with sheriff deputies and Minnesota State Patrol.
1:55 p.m. A visitor called to report a dead deer on the East Bay Beach. Cook County called Grand Marais City Hall. The street department can remove it in the morning.
2:02 p.m. There was a complaint of a tan/gold van that just flew up Townsite Road in Grand Portage very fast. The vehicle went really fast past the ballfield area where kids are playing. Cook County was unable to locate the vehicle in the area but will head east toward the State Park. At 3:47, the vehicle, from North Dakota was stopped.
4:06 p.m. A party reported that he sold a truck to someone five days ago. The transmission went out and the buyer is now sending threatening messages.
4:55 p.m. A party called because he thought he saw some kids hacking at each other with blades in a pickup outside of his building. Deputies responded and spoke with the children’s father and saw the children. No injuries were visible on the children.
5:26 p.m. There was a report of a tree blocking the landing turn around at Devil Track Road.
5:35 p.m. A welfare check was requested for a party on Anhorn Drive, off Shoe Lake Road in Hovland. The person was supposed to leave the cabin there over three hours ago. Their phone is going straight to voicemail. The concerned party called back at 5:52 p.m., they had contacted the party.
5:53 p.m. A party called from Hovland, saying the landlord of the property where he has been living for about five years contacted him and said he has to be out tomorrow. Party is concerned that things may become physical. He also questioned if it was illegal to only give a day’s notice to get off the property.
7:26 p.m. A party asked for assistance to get her snowmobile back from an ex-boyfriend. The ex refused to take a lock off the machine. Cook County advised that it is a civil issue and she would have to go to court to have a deputy assist.
8:25 p.m. A party in Grand Marais reported that his 75-year-old neighbor had been assaulted when a motorist leaving Passion Pit intentionally accelerated and sprayed gravel all over him. He had no information on the suspect vehicle. The party wanted this known as he hoped the sheriff’s office and Cook County administrator would make a public statement about the public’s reaction to how property rights on Old Shore Road had changed. The party was advised to speak to the sheriff during business hours.
9:03 p.m. Surfside Resort in Tofte called stating that a male party was causing problems with other guests at the resort tennis court. He got in an argument with his wife in the restaurant earlier. Cook County began to respond and the resort called back to say the male had gone to his room and a deputy was no longer needed.
9:41 p.m. Another call came in regarding the same party to report that the male had grabbed a young man by the shoulders and scared him. Sheriff’s deputies were unable to find the male party but will interview him about this when found.

June 24
8:06 a.m. A party reported a shredded tire on the southbound shoulder west of Paradise Beach, stretching for quite a ways. The matter was referred to MnDOT.
10:19 a.m. A party asked to speak with the deputy he talked to last week about the harassment he’s receiving and issues with court administration.
10:21 a.m. A deputy cleaned up chunks of a blown tire on West Highway 61.
10:52 a.m. The Forest Service reported that its recreation crews have been harassed by the public for the past few days. A deputy will remain in the area to assist.
1:46 p.m. A parent called to report that her son’s cell phone had been damaged by another youth at the Grand Marais Skate Park.
4:09 p.m. A call for help came from Temperance River State Park. The caller has a reservation for a site with documentation, but there is someone there who will not leave. The caller is unable to reach the campground host. The caller tried the park office a second time and someone was there. They had given away his site but had another for him. The party canceled his call for help but said to thank the deputy for being willing to come down to help.
5:53 p.m. A party called the law enforcement center asking about drone ordinances for the City of Grand Marais. One had come on her property, hovered a bit, and then took off. Cook County checked and there are no city or county ordinances regarding drones.
7:10 p.m. A party called for assistance in finding her son who hadn’t come home yet. While on phone, the son came home.
7:31 p.m. A caller reported suspicious activity at the Devil Track boat launch. It looked like the party was possibly dumping something. Cook County checked the area and did not see any refuse or anything that appeared to have been dumped. Cook County ran the license plates and visited the registered owners. They getting water from the lake.

June 25
12:40 a.m. A party locked out of their hotel room at Lutsen Mountains called for help, as there is no one at the desk. Cook County was able to contact a manager and the party was assisted at 1:21 a.m.
8:00 a.m. A white Pyrenese was reported missing in the Colvill area. The dog was found overnight and arrangements were made to return Siggy to its owner.
9:14 a.m. A party called to report harassment from the parents of the child he is fostering. The harassing text was shared with Cook County Public Health. The party just would like this to be a matter of record.
11:57 a.m. A parent called from the Grand Marais Skate Park with concerns about an out of control child. A deputy spoke with the youth about stress, anger, and about talking with adults respectfully.
12:05 p.m. North Coast Towing requested traffic assistance while pulling a vehicle out on Bally Creek Road.
2:36 p.m. A caller asked for a welfare check for a party in Grand Marais who had not been seen for some time. The sheriff’s office spoke with the person and they were fine.
2:40 p.m. A male party reported going in the ditch in a 2015 Kia Sorrento as he encountered a construction vehicle on a forest road.

June 26
12:44 a.m. A caller reported a loud party going on since 9 p.m. at a vacation rental in Lutsen. When deputies arrived at 1:28 a.m., most of the party had gone to bed. The renter was advised to shut things down earlier. The renter agreed to be mindful of the noise for the rest of the weekend.
1:37 p.m. Two different parties called to report that traffic seems to be moving at higher speeds on County Road 7. They asked the sheriff’s office to return the sped monitoring trailer. Cook County explained that the speed trailer is moved from one area to another to reduce speed in various locations.
2:53 p.m. A deputy gave a motorist with a broken down vehicle a ride the Grand Portage Trading Post to call for a tow.
3:27 p.m. There was a complaint of hollering and ATVs revving motors in Grand Portage. The deputy was unable to find anyone driving ATVs in the area.
3:48 p.m. There was a report of a female who came ashore at Hollow Rock in a canoe. The woman said she had been out in the sun all day and her vehicle is parked in Duluth. She seems to need assistance for the night and a way back to Duluth. Cook County referred the woman to Cook County Public Health, but they were unable to assist the woman. A Grand Portage community member gave the woman a ride to Duluth.
4:43 p.m. A party called for help for their son who fell and hit his head and needs stitches. The caller did not want the ambulance, just the address for the closest urgent care or ER. Directions were given and the hospital was advised that the family was coming in.
7:00 p.m. A 911 call from Lake County came through reporting an intoxicated man driving a grayish-tan Chevy Malibu. It was meant for Beaver Bay.
7:30 p.m. There was a 911 call with rustling noises and voices in the background before the call was cut off. GPS coordinates are off of the west end of the Pine Mountain Road on Elbow Creek near the clearing. A sheriff deputy checked the area and was unable to locate anyone.
8:55 p.m. There was a report of a domestic disturbance in Grand Portage. One party was arrested.
9:04 p.m. A welfare check was requested for a man sleeping in a vehicle by Holiday. The reporting party tried waking him, with no response. The party was transported to North Shore Health.
9:16 p.m. A deputy assisted a party with getting their dog out of the pound.
9:21 p.m. A party called to report fireworks going off, scaring their dog. Parties were advised to end fireworks or a citation would be issued.
10:03 A sheriff’s deputy heard some fireworks near Lake Superior, just south of the dog pound. When the deputy arrived, the person was done shooting them and he picked up all his trash. A verbal warning was given.

June 27
6:52 a.m. A party reported that his little dog, Minnie, was bitten by a St. Bernard puppy at the Grand Marais Rec Park campground a few days ago. It was not intentional, the puppy was just excited. Minnie’s owner thought it was no big deal as Minnie seemed fine, but is now limping. The party asked the sheriff’s office for help locating the other dog owner in case there are medical expenses for Minnie. The dog owner was tracked down and a phone number was given to the reporting party. This is now a civil matter.
7:51a.m. A call reporting a fender bender between a 2003 GMC Sierra and a 2017 RAV 4 came in. The reporting party was going south on Broadway Avenue, the other vehicle didn’t stop. There were no injuries and no tow is needed. Insurance was exchanged.
10:37 p.m. Two parties reported that their neighbor had lit off fireworks last night. One party found two bottle rockets on her property.
5:43 p.m. The sheriff’s office received a call of two vehicles, a Subaru and a Chevy Aveo, blocking an alley in Grand Marais. They were asked to move and would not do so. A deputy spoke to the parties, who were waiting for a pizza from Sven & Ole’s. They did not think it was going to be very long, however, both vehicles were moved.
9:27 p.m. A party called the sheriff’s office to see if he can sleep in his van in the parking lot downtown overnight. Cook County advised that the answer is no.
9:28 p.m. A party on the Gunflint Trail reported that he had to shoot a nuisance bear. The call was referred to the Minnesota State dispatch for conservation officers.
11:12 p.m. A loud party was reported on Skyport Lane. The reporting party said people have been riding motorcycles and causing a lot of smoke. A deputy asked the party to shut down the music and noise. The party said he would.
11:38 p.m. A party called for a welfare check for his granddaughter. He got a message that she had been dropped off on the side of the road somewhere in Grand Marais. She was possibly assaulted. Deputies located the victim at approximately 12:30 a.m. The Violence Prevention Center was contacted for assistance. A male party was found later and arrested for assault.

June 28
8:13 a.m. A party reported a tan/gold Chevy truck parked in their lot for several days. They asked if law enforcement could contact the owner before they resort to having it towed. Registered owners were notified.
9:22 a.m. A party on Cascade Beach Road called with questions about fireworks laws in Minnesota. They reported that a few were fired off near them yesterday.
2:31 p.m. There was a call of a possible intoxicated ATV driver heading down the Gunflint Trail. There was no sign of intoxication, but the driver was advised to drive on the far right of the driving lane.
5:00 p.m. A party reported a vehicle that was tailgating him from Devil Track Road, following him. Cook County advised him to stop at the Law Enforcement Center and a deputy would meet them there. The party stopped, but then said to disregard. He knows the party and doesn’t need assistance, they must have been trying to get him to notice him.
8:01 p.m. A party reported that their neighbor in Colvill was shooting off fireworks. A deputy visited the address to find parties target shooting, which is legal.
Caspers Hill was the address where the incident happened. They were not shooting off fireworks they are target shooting, which is legal.
11:58 p.m. A party reported a breakdown on East Highway 61. Cook County Towing is responding.

June 29
12:08 a.m. A party called to report some minors driving up and down the road in a white, side-by-side. They are shooting off fireworks as they are driving.
8:27 a.m. Vandalism was reported on the bulletin board in the public restroom and at city hall. There is video of the area.
9:09 a.m. A motorist in a black Honda went off the roadway on East Highway 61, ending up in the treeline on the lakeside. The vehicle is completely totaled. There appear to be no injuries. The cause of the accident is unknown.

In an emergency, call 9-1-1. For non-emergency calls to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, call 218-387-3030.

WTIP Staff July 14, 2020