The Port Townsend Police Department responded to a total of 149 calls, and conducted 35 traffic stops, from May 9-15.

May 9: Officers responded to a car fire. Responding officers discovered that a citizen working on their vehicle had caught the brakes on fire. No injuries were reported, and the fire was extinguished as officers arrived on scene. 

• Officers responded to a fraud report, in which a citizen was duped into handing over a large sum of money to a scammer claiming to be a U.S. Marshal. PTPD is actively investigating the case, and asks that anyone contacted by a “U.S. Marshal” who is asking for cash please call dispatch. As a reminder, no law enforcement officer will ask for cash, for any reason. 

May 10: Officers responded to a report of a suspicious person at a local store. Officers discovered that the reporting party thought it suspicious that the individual they were following in their vehicle kept running away. 

• Officers responded to a traffic complaint in which the reporting party felt they were being tailgated, so they confronted the other vehicle, and the driver told them to “Have a nice day.”

May 11: Officers responded to a theft call at a business downtown. Officers discovered that an individual had stolen from the business the previous day, but was bringing the stolen items back. When the suspect returned the items, an argument ensued, and the business owner decided to prosecute the theft. 

• Officers responded to a welfare check, in which it was reported that a woman was screaming for help and bleeding. Responding officers discovered that the woman had been bitten by one of her dogs. The woman’s two dogs had been fighting with each other, and when she tried to separate them, she was bitten on the hand. 

May 12: PTPD was contacted by the U.S. Coast Guard, after they received a call about a boat on fire between Point Hudson and Coupeville. Officers scanned the area with binoculars and were unable to locate any vessels on fire, only some enjoying recreational time on the water. 

• An officer was assaulted while taking a suspect into custody. The suspect then caused significant damage to a PTPD patrol vehicle while being transported to the Jefferson County Jail. The officer is expected to make a full, quick recovery. 

May 13: Officers responded to several simultaneous panic alarms at a local healthcare facility. Upon their arrival, they discovered that there was work being done on the alarm system, and all the panic was unfounded. 

• Officers responded to a theft at a local grocery store. Through their investigation, they identified a suspect. The suspect was located and taken into custody, after a brief foot pursuit into a nearby restaurant. 

May 14: Officers responded to a theft at a local grocery store. The investigation revealed that two suspects had stolen two tubs of ice cream. The suspects were located nearby, and the ice cream was recovered. It is unknown if it melted or not. 

• Officers responded to an accidental discharge of a shotgun at an apartment building. Officers arrived on scene, and through their investigation, developed probable cause to arrest the owner of the shotgun for reckless endangerment. 

May 15: Officers located a wanted person. The suspect was taken into custody without incident. 

• Officers responded to a theft at a local business. The suspect was located, and it was discovered that they had committed multiple thefts over the course of two days at the same business. The suspect was taken into custody and booked into the Jefferson County Jail.