Thief River Falls (trfnews.i234.me) — Two Thief River Falls residents were cited after a late-night disturbance at the Law Enforcement Center lobby, according to court records.
The incident happened Feb. 15 at about 9:34 p.m. Police were called to the lobby of the Pennington County Law Enforcement Center after a report of a disturbance.
Who Was Cited
Kenny Howard Stauffacher Jr., 33, of Thief River Falls, was cited for disorderly conduct, careless driving, and dropping an object from a vehicle on a highway.
Elyse Nicole Johnson, 39, of Thief River Falls, was cited for disorderly conduct, following too closely, failure to dim headlights, and speeding 72 mph in a 60 mph zone.
The citations were filed on March 3. Public case details may be viewed through Minnesota Court Records Online.
What Police Reported
According to the citations, an officer arrived and saw Stauffacher and Johnson yelling at each other in the lobby.
Stauffacher told police that Johnson had been following him too closely on Highway 32, north of Center Street East.
He believed she was following him because he had thrown a pop can from his vehicle.
At the roundabout near County State Aid Highway 8, Stauffacher said he stopped and asked why Johnson was flashing her high beams and following so closely.
Johnson’s Account
Johnson told police she believed Stauffacher might be drunk.
She said she flashed her high beams after he threw a second can from the vehicle.
Johnson said she does not like seeing people litter.
She also said she drove faster to catch up with him. The citation listed that speed as 72 mph.
According to the citation, Johnson said Stauffacher had been swerving before the two stopped near the roundabout.
She also alleged that he threatened to assault her during that encounter.
How the Incident Ended
After that roadside exchange, Stauffacher drove to the Law Enforcement Center. Johnson followed him there to give police her side of the story.
Once both arrived, the argument continued in the lobby, according to the citations.
Police said Stauffacher repeatedly insulted Johnson during the confrontation.
The case remains a citation matter based on the allegations listed in the filed documents. The citations do not represent a conviction.
For local government information, visit the City of Thief River Falls.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
