Flatonia March Police Report

Flatonia Police Chief L. Dick reports that there were 444 calls for service in March.

Offense/Incident Report:

On March 7, Chief L. Dick and Officer T. Amos responded to a welfare concern. Upon arrival they spoke with one of the residents who stated that they feared for another resident’s safety because they had locked themselves inside a bedroom. Chief Dick and Officer Amos were able to successfully calm the distraught resident, while also quickly and safely making entry into the bedroom to confirm the safety of the other person. The person was determined to be safe, and the officers returned to their duties.

On March 11, Sgt. T. Tunis responded to a one vehicle accident. Upon arrival he found the driver to be severely intoxicated. Sgt. Tunis placed the individual in custody and continued to manage the accident scene. Sgt. Tunis also determined the individual was in possession of a controlled substance. Once the roadway was clear, Sgt. Tunis transported the individual to the local hospital for medical examination before transporting the individual to Fayette County Jail for Driving While Intoxicated and Possession of a Controlled Substance.

On March 13, Officer W. Kalina and Officer T. Lynn initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling over the posted speed limit. Upon making contact with the driver, the driver was found to have a warrant for their arrest due to a probation violation for Criminal Mischief. The individual was taken into custody without incident.

On March 20, a vehicle fled from a Schulenburg Police Officer initiating a traffic stop. The vehicle continued to travel west on Interstate-10 toward Flatonia. Chief L. Dick attempted to intercept the pursuit at milemarker- 660 and prevent the pursuit from exiting into the City of Flatonia. The vehicle failed to stop and continued traveling west on I-10 and exited FM-609 into Flatonia. Officer T. Amos positioned her patrol unit at the intersection of FM-609 and the frontage road and stopped cross-traffic and prevented the pursuit vehicle from entering town. Officer Amos remained in the city. The vehicle continued to travel west and re-entered I-10 westbound. The vehicle exited Hwy. 90 toward Waelder and attempted to turn south toward Flatonia on US Hwy. 90. Sgt. T. Tunis, who was arriving early for his scheduled shift, was approaching from US Hwy. 90 and prevented the vehicle from turning toward the City of Flatonia on US 90. The driver instead continued to travel west on I-10. Chief Dick, Sgt. Tunis, and the Schulenburg Officer continued in pursuit of the vehicle and the driver could be seen throwing large quantities of methamphetamines out of the vehicle. Once other agencies joined, the Flatonia Police Department terminated their pursuit of the vehicle and returned to the city limits.

On March 22, Officer W. Kalina observed a vehicle displaying expired registration. Officer Kalina conducted a traffic stop and found the driver to not be in possession of a valid driver’s license. After successfully identifying the driver, Officer Kalina confirmed that the driver had a warrant for a Driving While Intoxicated probation violation. The driver was placed in custody with no incident.

On March 28, Colorado County Sheriff’s Department advised that they were in pursuit of a vehicle that was traveling west on Hwy. 90 into Fayette County. Schulenburg PD attempted to stop the vehicle, but due to its high rate of speed they were unable to setup before the pursuit reached their location. The vehicle continued to approach the City of Flatonia at speeds in excess of 100 MPH. Chief L. Dick and Officer T. Roggenkamp positioned themselves at the east Flatonia City Limits in an attempt to spike the vehicle. As the vehicle approached, Chief Dick successfully spiked the vehicle and caused it to drastically decrease its speed as it entered the City of Flatonia. The vehicle continued to travel west on Hwy 90 and attempted to turn north on Hwy 95. Due to the successful tire spike, the vehicle could not make the turn and came to a halt without injury or property damage. Three of the occupants were successfully detained without incident, while the driver of the vehicle fled from the scene. Officer W. Kalina pursued the fleeing driver on foot and successfully detained the driver. Chief Dick, Officer T. Roggenkamp, and Officer Kalina successfully assisted with the termination of the pursuit and apprehension of the individuals without injury and property damage.

On March 28, Officer T. Roggenkamp was advised of an animal complaint. Upon arrival Officer Roggenkamp discussed the incident with both parties involved and resolved the issue without any further incident. Officer Roggenkamp identified all individuals involved. While identifying all persons, one was found to have a felony warrant for a probation violation. Officer Roggenkamp advised the individual and placed them in custody without incident.

Arrests/Pending Charges

There were four direct custody arrests for the month of March.

Traffic Contacts: 122

All Flatonia Police Officers, including command staff, have conducted traffic control throughout the city and specifically in the areas of town that complaints have been received related to speeding and stop sign violations. Flatonia officers will continue to conduct stationary and mobile radar and observe traffic at intersections to address the traffic concerns.

In-Service Training

Flatonia Police Department officers continuously strive to participate in different training provided every month. Continuous training is vital because of the influence it has on the officer’s everyday performance and for professional development.

Some training that occured in March include: March 16, Chief L. Dick attended an online webinartraining.OnMarch 27, Chief L. Dick completed Victim-Oriented Solutions for Elder Exploitation. On March 28, Chief L. Dick completed a training course through the National White Collar Crime Center on Financial Investigations.

On March 1, Sgt. T. Tunis completed Eyewitness Evidence and Identification. On March 1, Sgt. T. Tunis completed Hazmat First Responder Awareness. On March 2, Sgt. T. Tunis completed a Court Security Officer course.

On March 5, Officer T. Amos completed the 28-hour course Spanish for Law Enforcement.

On March 5, Officer T. Amos completed Cultural Diversity Training. On March 9, Officer T. Amos completed Intermediate Investigative Topics.

On March 1, Officer T. Roggenkamp completed a Case Law course.

On March 20, Officer T. Lynn completed a Body Worn Cameras course.