Meth leads to bizarre allegations

Leslie Johnson

by Greg Marsten
Leader staff writer
  COMSTOCK – Police were called to a bizarre incident in rural Comstock in eastern Polk County on the afternoon of Sunday, March 10, where a firearm may have been involved in a dispute as a woman was moving out of a cabin.
  When Polk County sheriff's deputies arrived on the scene, they detained three people immediately, and were told the reporting party had fled out into the woods. Officers followed footprints into a wooded area, where they found Leslie Johnson, 30, Comstock, standing beside a tree. 
  She claimed that while she was loading her items into a moving van, with the assistance of the three people, they had threatened to kill her and pulled out a handgun, which is why she called 911 and then fled into the woods.
 According to the probable cause report filed with the sheriff's office, further interviews of the various parties found Johnson's claim to be "completely fabricated," the reporting officer wrote. The deputy also noticed that Johnson had glassy eyes and rapid emotional changes. She said there were other people in the residence and that they had threatened her with a handgun, as well. 
 Officers searched the building and found nobody else hiding, and also found no handgun.
 However, they did discover a bag of methamphetamine in the woman's back pocket, which later led to felony possession of methamphetamine charges, as well as misdemeanor resisting or obstruction of an officer. 
 Johnson was also wanted on warrants from three counties, Polk, Burnett and Eau Claire. She appeared in court on March 11, where Judge Molly GaleWyrick set a $2,500 cash bond and preliminary hearing for March 13.
 Johnson has an extensive criminal history, including multiple drug, forgery, paraphernalia possession, bribery, assault, domestic assault, battery, DUI, criminal damage to property and obstruction charges. She remained in jail at press time.

---