Patrol Districts

PATROL DIVISION

2012 Patrol Highlights

January 2012: On January 11th, Owatonna patrol officers, city and county investigators, and agents from the South Central Drug Investigations Unit (SCDIU), apprehended Jason P. Krieg, age 44, who was wanted for the shooting outside the Medford McDonald’s restaurant. Krieg was arrested without incident on the 500 block of Adams Avenue following a short foot chase that ended behind the Owatonna Ready-mix plant. An OPD Agent for the task force received a commendation for his efforts in this apprehension.

February 2012: On February 20th at 9:24 p.m., an officer on patrol came across a vehicle that went off the road at the intersection of Mineral Springs Rd. and St. Paul Rd. The vehicle struck a stop sign, a fence, and then a fire hydrant. The officer located and spoke to the driver, who was shaken from the crash but uninjured. The officer noticed that driver was showing signs of impairment and had the driver perform road-side field sobriety tests. The driver was subsequently placed under arrest for suspicion of drunk driving and transported to the Steele County Detention Center for further DWI processing.

March 2012: In a cooperative effort with the Owatonna Park & Recreation Department and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Owatonna Police Department concluded a three month deer management hunt in city parks. 11 deer were taken during a series of four separate hunts to cull the deer population. The DNR conducted a study that authorized 15 deer to be taken from the deer herd living in the City of Owatonna.

April 2012: Unseasonably warm weather spikes vandalism to city parks which prompted an undercover operation by the Patrol Division. On separate dates and at different parks, undercover officers made a total of six arrests for subjects possessing marijuana and juveniles in possession of alcohol and tobacco products.

May 2012: On May 2nd at approximately 11:15 p.m., an officer was attempting to locate a suspect in a theft investigation at 215 22nd St. NW. While he was there, he heard an alarm signaling from within the building and detected a smoke haze in the street lights. The officer investigated further and found a window on the third floor that had smoke coming from it. Shortly thereafter, a female and young child appeared on the apartment balcony. The female appeared distressed and the child was crying. The officer gained access to apartment complex. The officer reached the affected apartment and found thick smoke covering the entire apartment. He entered the kitchen area and observed open flames above the stove on the wall. A fire extinguisher was used to control the flame while other responding officers began evacuating the building. It was determined the fire was caused by a burner being left on “high”. The female was found in an intoxicated state and was placed under arrest for child endangerment.

June 2012: Officer Berg stopped a vehicle traveling on I-35 whose occupants are wanted out of Downey, California for murder that occurred a few days prior. The suspects were arrested and held for extradition.