Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Six days and 402 police calls. That’s the work load for local police during the Fourth of July holiday celebration that ran from June 29 through July 4.

While most of the calls were routine, not all were. Two men were taken to Regions Hospital with stab wounds following a bar fight early Thursday morning while in a separate incident, a man went to jail after he was found with three grams of cocaine.

Chief of Police Clark Quiring said the most serious incident was reported in the parking lot at Players Beach Club, 55 S. Lake St. at 12:58 a.m. on July 5 where police were called to a fight.

According to police reports, officers were at a separate fight at the Forest Laker, 131 N. Lake St., when they were called to the Players parking lot.

At the scene, police found three men with stab wounds, but did not find a knife, Quiring said. Three men face criminal charges.

One of the combatants, Daniel Joseph Hillmer, 19, of 20 Geranium Ave., St. Paul, was arrested and taken to the Washington County Jail in Stillwater and booked on probable cause of felony second-degree assault.

According to police reports, Hillmer denied any involvement with a knife.

Jonathon Lee Laboda, 20 Geranium Ave., St. Paul, a friend of Hillmer, was ticketed for disorderly conduct for his role in the brawl.

They were involved in an altercation with three other men who received cuts consistent with stab wounds, police said.

Lucas James Patraw, 24, of 113 Star Circle, Vadnais Heights, was transported by North Ambulance to Regions Hospital with stab wounds to the abdomen.

Michael John Patraw, 26, of 113 Star Circle, Vadnais Heights, also had cuts to the abdomen but declined medical treatment, police said.

Both Patraws were given tickets for disorderly conduct, police said.

The third man, Anthony Eugene Lascala, 24, of 12218 Unity St., Coon Rapids, also suffered stab wounds and was taken by ambulance to Regions, police said. He was not charged.

Noise issues

Noise issues and parade route problems were two of the top issues facing police this year, the chief said.

Included within the 402 reports, Quiring said, were 49 noise and fireworks complaints.

The dust is yet to settle from all the noise complaints, a handful of which came in response to outdoor music from downtown bars.

Quiring said officers made sound checks at the Forest Laker and Upperdeck after receiving complaints and found one violation for each bar. The chief said City Prosecutor Michael Welch is now reviewing reports and considering a ticket for an alleged violation of the noise ordinance against the Forest Laker.

Consideration of a second ticket for the Upperdeck will be handled by a city prosecutor outside of Forest Lake. That is being done because of the potential conflict of City Councilman Bo Bogotty who is involved in the management of Upperdeck.

Drug arrest

Police here charged a Forest Lake man with a drug crime after he fled officers on a borrowed motorcycle at 1:36 a.m. on July 4.

Police attempted to stop Anthony Joseph Tourville, 22, of 438 SW 4th Ave., after police were called and told that Tourville had made threats to shoot another city resident in the head. When Tourville was spotted by police on SW 12th St., he fled, traveling north at speeds estimated by police at 80 miles an hour.

Tourville was arrested after he crashed the motorcycle while attempting to enter the Wal-Mart parking lot. At the scene, officers recovered a .22 caliber derringer and found three grams of cocaine on Tourville, reports said. He was arrested after a short foot pursuit.

He was taken to the county jail where he was booked on a long list of charges that included possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, possession of narcotics, two counts of fleeing, terroristic threats and an outstanding Washington County warrant.

In short

In short, here is a summary of the major calls handled by police during the holiday.

•46 traffic complaints.

•23 disorderly conduct and or drinking complaints.

•Three residential burglaries.

•Officers also confiscated 40 tarps and chairs from the parade route after they posed public safety issues or were on private property. Items confiscated were returned to owners who came to the police station to claim them, Quiring said.

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