Fire on Tower Hill Drive Causes $100,000 in Damage

Fire fighters were still investigating the cause but warned residents to use extension cords for temporary wiring only and not place cords under carpets or furniture.

A fire caused $100,000 in damage to a deck and home on Tower Hills Drive, but the occupant and a pet dog and monkey escaped without harm. A neighbor called 911 at 3:48 p.m. Thursday and a worker at the neighbor's home notified the occupant there was a fire, Brookfield Fire Chief Charlie Myers said. A Brookfield firefighter suffered and was evaluated for heat exhaustion fighting the blaze in the 1000 block of Tower Hills Drive. The cause was under investigation but believed to be accidential. Myers reminded residents of two things: make sure they have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on all levels of a residence. He added: "Extension cords should only be used for temporary wiring only and should not be placed under carpets or …

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Teen Charged After Mom Finds Marijuana Grow in Brookfield Closet

West Allis man, 18, tells police he only got the plants for a 15-year-old Brookfield boy who wanted to grow his own marijuana.

An 18-year-old West Allis man allegedly helped a 15-year-old Brookfield boy procure marijuana plants so they could grow them, a criminal complaint alleges. Bradley C. Leachy was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court Thursday with one count of possession of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. If convicted, he faces up to six months in county jail and $1,000 in fines. According to the criminal complaint: On April 7, 2011, a woman living in the 18900 block of Emerald Drive contacted Brookfield police after she discovered two marijuana plants inside her son’s closet. The boy told officers the plants belonged to Leachy and Leachy had moved them to the boy's house because Leachy was concerned about having a grow operation at his own …

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Mayor's Memo

Honoring Police Families Who Have Made Ultimate Sacrifice

To be truly free, we need law enforcement, Mayor Steve Ponto said at a National Police Week ceremony. Ponto and his wife recently visited the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Mayor Steve Ponto's remarks for the city's National Police Week Ceremony: In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a Presidential Proclamation that set aside May 15th as National Police Officers Memorial Day and the week which includes May 15th as National Police Week. It is a time of honoring, remembering and healing. There is liberty in law. However, if we are to be truly free, there must be law enforcement. Today, we thank those who protect us through law enforcement, and we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in that effort, and the families that they left behind. There are more than 19,000 U.S. law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty throughout the history of this country. Their names are carved into the…

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Brookfield Man Charged After Huffing Gas Duster Outside George Webb

Twenty-year-old man told police he was huffing cans of gas duster and taking Robitussin pills to get high, a charge alleges.

A Brookfield man was caught huffing gas duster and taking Robitussin pills outside a Town of Brookfield restaurant, a criminal complaint alleges. Errin D. Durham, 20, was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court Monday with one count of possession with intent to abuse a hazardous substance. If convicted, he faces up to nine months in jail and $10,000 in fines. According to the criminal complaint: On March 5, police were called to George Webb’s after Durham was spotted sitting on a railroad tie on the south side of the restaurant and acting disoriented. Two large pools of vomit were near the area. Durham told police he had a box cutter with him and officers searched him and found two cans of compressed gas duster and a bottle of Robitussin …

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OMG PD: The Odd and Odder From Police Reports

On one hand, you've got iPads and text messages. On the other hand, good old screwdrivers. The common theme is the strangeness found in the police files and court complaints.

If you think nothing interesting ever happens in the burbs, think again. Patch is highlighting some of the more unusual crime news from throughout southeastern Wisconsin in our feature, "OMG PD." Two thieves caught by Wauwatosa police believed that the screwdrivers, wallet, cell phone, clothing, the other screwdrivers, marijuana, black gloves and ski mask didn’t get them in trouble. It was the iPad. Sometimes, figuring out the relationship between odd items people steal from grocery or convenience stores is a puzzler. Other times, it takes just a second. Greenfield police were prepared to arrest a 19-year-old Milwaukee man for marijuana possession. Then he received a text message. Possession is nine-tenths of the law. Here’s the other 10 …

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Last Chance: Safety Town Registration

Don't forget: registration for Safety Town is Saturday morning and is in-person only at the east side of the City Hall building.

"Last Chance" is Patch's way of breaking throughing the digital noise (or your cluttered desk and kitchen counter) and saying: "Warning! This is about to end. Put it on your front burner now!" A deadline this week: You must register in person from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday on the east side of City Hall, 2000 N. Calhoun Rd. Cost is $55. You do not have to live in the city to register. For children entering 5-year-old kindergarten in September 2012, Safety Town is a two-week program in which Brookfield police officers and firefighters teach traffic, fire and personal safety. (See photos from last summer's session.) There are guest speakers and two field trips to the police and fire department. It is held at Burleigh Elementary and three …

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