Monica LaSalle, Nederland. On the afternoon of Sunday, April 7, 2019, the peacefulness of Nederland was abruptly interrupted by the sight and sounds of Nederland Police, Boulder County Sheriff, Boulder County SWAT and Animal Control all convening at The Boulder Creek Lodge, 55 Lakeview Drive.

Over the weekend, two women arrived in Nederland to make a brief stay on their way west. They had their standard poodle with them and booked a room at the lodge for the weekend. On Saturday night, one of the women stopped at the Nederland Police Department to speak with the officer on duty, reporting that she and her traveling companion, who was mentally ill, were on the run and working with the FBI and Trafficking Help Line. Officer Gerthe gave the woman statements for each of them to fill out and return at their convenience.

The next day, the manager of the lodge came to the Nederland Police Department to report that the two women were refusing to check out of their room at the standard 11 a.m. check out time and had locked themselves in their room with their dog. At that time, the officer on duty, Det. O’Nuallain, realized the women matched a description of a nationwide BOLO warning stating that the women were carrying weapons and were accompanied by a dangerous dog.

The officer went to the lodge to speak with the women, who refused to open the door despite many attempts. Concerned about the situation escalating, the officer called in back up from the Boulder County agencies as a precaution while continuing efforts to de-escalate the situation. At one point, Det. O’Nuallain was made aware that the women had formed a friendly connection with Claudia Schauffler, the owner of The Shop clothing store in the Caribou Shopping Center. Claudia was made aware of the situation and agreed to come help. After speaking with the women through the door and calming them down, the women agreed to be escorted out of the hotel accompanied by Claudia, as long as they would not be “tackled” by police.

Due to the fact that no one was in danger, (the women only had a walking stick and their dog was peaceful) and there was no damage done to property, Officer O’Nuallain determined no charges needed to be filed and they were free to leave. The women left town shortly thereafter.

We are fortunate in our growing community to have sensibly minded officers on staff with the main goal of maintaining the peace and utilizing the least impactful solution to conflict whenever possible.

(Originally published in the April 11, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)