Every day, police officers respond to reports of all sorts of events and nonevents, most of which never make the news. Here is a sampling of lesser-known — but no less noteworthy — incidents from police log books (a.k.a. blotters) in our communities.
BIZARRE HOAX
Sometime after 8 p.m. Feb. 20, State Police received a call from a person who reported seeing what appeared to be a stabbing victim being thrown over the railing of the Weeks Footbridge and plunging 20 feet down onto the icy Charles River below. State Police and Cambridge firefighters arrived at the scene and found a red substance that looked like blood in the snow near the bridge’s railing and a clothed mannequin covered in the same substance lying on the ice below. Firefighters retrieved the mannequin from the river, so as to prevent any more unnecessary emergency calls. While it might seem like a victimless prank, State Police spokesperson Timothy McGuirk said incidents like this put first responders — and the community at large — at risk. “Reckless behavior to stage scenes like this can create senseless fear in our communities, tie up essential resources which become unavailable for true emergencies, and pose a significant danger to first responders themselves who answer every call for help with deep concern for those they swear to protect,’’ said McGuirk. Firefighters cleared the scene at 8:29 p.m., according to Cambridge Fire Department spokesperson John J. Gelinas.
UNHAPPY VALENTINE
On Feb. 15, Sandwich police got a call from a man who reported his girlfriend had taken off in his company vehicle that she wasn’t supposed to be driving. Officers located the woman driving his work vehicle and promptly pulled her over. They then got to hear her side of the story. “The woman reported she wanted to leave an event, but her boyfriend did not, so she took the vehicle,’’ police wrote on Facebook. The man ultimately declined to press charges against his girlfriend, and she was brought to the police station to wait for a ride. The current status of the couple’s relationship is unknown, but it probably was ’’not the Valentine’s Weekend they had planned,’’ police wrote.
URINE TROUBLE
On Feb. 14, police in Keene, N.H. received a tip that a 23-year-old online content creator appeared to have “recorded herself contaminating items in a local business with her urine,’’ and then shared the video online. Police launched an investigation into the disturbing incident, which allegedly occurred Feb. 10 at the Monadnock Food Co-Op. The co-op immediately removed the products and issued a voluntary recall of organic polenta, coconut shreds, cornmeal, and three types of organic quinoa that were purchased from the store’s bulk department between Feb. 10 and 15. The co-op said the suspect has no affiliation with the the store, and no fresh produce, meat, seafood, prepared foods or refrigerated products were affected. “Our community’s health and safety remain our top priorities,’’ the co-op said in a statement. “While this was a highly unusual situation, we took swift action in accordance with our food safety and recall procedures. We have also been in direct communication with the Keene Health Department, which has confirmed that no ongoing risks remain.’’ Police said their investigation turned up several other videos of the suspect doing the same thing in Keene and surrounding communities, and some of the videos appeared to date back to as early as 2021. The suspect was arrested on Feb. 21 and charged with criminal mischief as a class B felony. She is scheduled to be arraigned on April 7. Police said she may face additional charges, and asked anyone with information to contact Detective Don Lundin at the Keene Police Department at 603-357-9813.
OWL RESCUE
On Feb. 7 State Police Trooper Colby Buccheri from the Andover barracks responded to a call of an injured bird. When Buccheri arrived at the reported location, he found an injured barred owl in a wooded area near the highway. Buccheri made a makeshift nest using an empty box and a blanket and took the owl to Chelmsford for treatment. The State Police Association of Massachusetts shared photos of the rescued owl on Facebook.
Emily Sweeney can be reached at emily.sweeney@globe.com. Follow her @emilysweeney and on Instagram @emilysweeney22.
