Former Iron Mountain police officer charged with disorderly conduct, obstructing officer

FLORENCE, Wis. (WLUC) - A former Iron Mountain police officer faces charges in Florence County following an altercation with two Florence County Sheriff’s Office deputies in April.

Teresa M. Carr, a former officer for the Iron Mountain Police Department, first appeared in Florence County Circuit Court Thursday on charges of disorderly conduct and obstructing an officer. These misdemeanor charges are the result of a complaint filed by Florence County Sheriff Dan Miller based on a report given by deputies Austin Babich and Ryan McLain of the Florence County Sheriff’s Office.

According to the complaint, Babich was on patrol April 14 in Florence Township along US-2 and 141 when his radar registered a vehicle traveling at 69 mph in a 55 mph zone.

The complaint said Babich stopped the vehicle, which was registered to Flex Fleet Rental LLC and had a Utah license plate. Babich reported that the driver, Jacob Lyle Williams, gave him a Wisconsin driver’s license and immediately told him that his wife was a cop in Iron Mountain and asked if he knew her. Williams then told Babich that his updated address was in Iron Mountain.

Based on Williams’ appearance, including a red face, red eyes, and shaking hands, and an “odor of intoxicants” coming from his vehicle, Babich said he determined that Williams was likely under the influence. After running a record check, Babich requested a backup deputy. Once Deputy McLain arrived, Babich returned to Williams’ vehicle.

While Babich was in his squad vehicle, Williams had reportedly called his wife, later identified as Carr. Babich said he asked Williams to step out of the vehicle, which Williams relayed to Carr over the phone, asking her if he should. Babich said he could hear Carr over the phone say that she was “on her f_____ way” and that Williams became agitated about the request. The complaint says that Babich asked Wiliams to step out of the vehicle four times before he complied.

Still on the phone with Carr, Williams was asked to walk back to Babich’s squad car, during which Babich said Williams demonstrated multiple signs of impairment. Babich asked Williams to perform field sobriety tests and again, Williams relayed the request to Carr. Babich reported hearing Carr over the phone telling Williams that law enforcement did not have probable cause and that Williams should not take the field sobriety tests.

The complaint said after three requests from Babich, Williams agreed to perform the tests. However, Babich reported that Williams became agitated and began to argue about performing them, then demanded to speak to his wife and said law enforcement was “out to get him.” Babich said he asked Williams six more times to perform the field sobriety tests, to which Williams would not answer, but said law enforcement was attempting to trick him. He asked Babich what would happen if he refused.

Babich told Williams that if he refused, he would be arrested for operating while intoxicated. He asked Williams again if he would do the tests. Failing to respond, Babich told Williams that he was under arrest. He was handcuffed and put in the back of Babich’s car.

Babich and McLain said that they began to search Williams’ vehicle for evidence related to an OWI based on the positive field sobriety test. McLain reported finding what he suspected was methamphetamine residue, which he confirmed when it tested positive.

Babich reported that at this time, Carr arrived and walked up to the driver’s side door of Williams’ vehicle and told Babich and McLain that they did not have probable cause to search the truck, before she slammed the door shut. The complaint said that Carr began to demand why they were searching the vehicle and why he was being arrested.

Babich and McLain said Carr then began to threaten the deputies, saying, “Better hope neither of you come through my city if you are drinking.”

McLain reported that Carr then called him an “arrogant f_____” and insisted that the deputies let her take Williams’ vehicle. McLain explained that the vehicle would instead be towed because Carr was not the registered owner.

The complaint states that the deputies asked Carr several times to return to her vehicle and that they would speak with her after their search. Eventually, she complied.

The Iron Mountain Police Department told TV6 that Carr was employed with the City of Iron Mountain as a police officer beginning in Oct. 2017. She was placed on leave from the department right after the April 14 incident, as the Forest County Sheriff’s Office— at the request of Florence County Sheriff Dan Miller— conducted a criminal investigation related to her involvement. The case was then referred to and handled by the Forest County District Attorney to avoid any conflict of interest due to frequent work between the Iron Mountain Police Department and the Florence County Sheriff’s Office.

Carr submitted her resignation to the Iron Mountain Police Department on April 21.

She is scheduled to appear in Florence County Circuit Court again on September 16 for a pre-trial conference.

Williams was released from Florence County Jail after a $1,000 bond was paid. He had a probable cause conference in the Florence County Circuit Court in May and faces one count of first-degree operating while intoxicated. He is scheduled to appear in court again on Dec. 20, 2022.

Carr told TV6 Tuesday she had no comment.