Samaritans save suicidal subject

CRIME WATCH volunteers and a Hoquiam Police officer trained in crisis intervention teamed to prevent the suicide of a distraught 49-year old Hoquiam man Saturday morning. The man entered the Hoquiam PD lobby and announced he was thinking of killing himself, then ran out, heading for the Simpson Avenue Bridge. Betsy Sidel and Bob Martin, two CRIME WATCH volunteers, were near the bridge and saw the man outside the railing atop it. The two directed traffic, keeping a lane open for responding officers. An officer was able to grab the man and pull him back over the rail, despite the man’s resistance and a punch in the face. The man was transported to the hospital for a mental health evaluation.

Aberdeen vehicle prowls on the rise

Aberdeen Police responded to a possible vehicle prowl early Sunday morning in the alley of the 100 block of West First Street. Officers arrived and located a male matching the description given by a caller. When questioned, the man said he was working on the van with a friend. A wants check was conducted and found the man to have active warrants from the Aberdeen Municipal Court and Grays Harbor Sheriff’s office. The man was arrested and transported to the Aberdeen Jail. There were six vehicle prowls reported Nov. 9-16: two on Second, two on Hannah, one on West Wishkah and one on Highland Drive.

Saturday morning’s not alright for fighting

After reports of a fight involving 20 people early Saturday morning at Park Street and Market, responding Aberdeen officers saw several subjects running in the 100 block of North Park. Aberdeen, Hoquiam and Cosmopolis units detained several of them, all involved in the altercation. A male, wearing only green socks and shorts and the apparent target of the attack, told officers someone had taken his backpack and pointed to an individual walking south through the Young’s store parking lot. An officer ordered the woman to stop. She told the officer she was just trying to help out and continued to walk although the officer was trying to speak with her. The officer arrested her for obstructing; another Aberdeen officer searched the female and the backpack she was carrying and found a rubber tie, syringes, tinfoil, plastic with brown residue, and baggies containing trace amounts of a crystal substance. She was transported to the Aberdeen Jail, booked and cited for obstructing a law enforcement officer and possession of drug paraphernalia.