Selected reports from the Bainbridge Island Police Department blotter.

Wednesday, Oct. 16

11 a.m. Police were called to Safeway on a report of a man in a motorized wheelchair who had launched a grocery cart onto the hood of a woman’s car. The owner of the car told officers she apparently blocked the walkway with the grocery cart while she was putting her groceries inside her vehicle and placing her child in her car seat.

While she was busy with her groceries and child, a man operating a motorized wheelchair came up the walkway and ran into the grocery cart. The cart was thrown onto the hood of the car and left a mark and a small dent. The car owner turned and yelled at the man, but he appeared to be ignoring her and continued on his way.

Officers tracked the man down at Island Health and Rehab. He told officers he had just been at the Safeway and bumped into the cart to move it out of the way. He apparently did not realize he had launched it. Police found that he was profoundly deaf. They concluded that he would not have heard the cart crash into the car nor the woman yelling at him.

After talking with the front desk at the health center, police found that the man is on Medicaid, has no next of kin and no money. The car owner did not follow up with police.

Thursday, Oct. 17

11:07 a.m. Management at the West Sound Wildlife Shelter reported the theft of a coyote from their facilities. A 6-month-old coyote was last seen the previous day by a volunteer. The animal stays at night in a pen with a “dummy lock” that is not fully locked.

Due to new scuff marks in the dirt around the enclosure, it appeared that someone had entered the area. There were no holes nor evidence the animal got out on its own. The animal is also allegedly so tame that it will walk right up to humans. The coyote was raised at a private home as a pet with a family’s dogs. It was fed people food, including popsicles.

Staff at the shelter indicated to police that there had been recent Facebook “chatter” about the coyote and that it may have to be euthanized due to its bizarre upbringing. This bothered many people. There had also been recent personnel changes with a long-term employee getting fired.

However, shelter staff did not believe the person would take the animal.

The next day, shelter staff contacted police again to alert them the coyote had been located and no further investigation was needed.