Woman Arrested for Obstruction After Lying to Officers About Barron Co. Gun Incident

BARRON COUNTY -- Earlier today, January 26, 2018, the Rice Lake Police Department issued a press release regarding an incident in which a woman reported that she had been shot in the hand during an incident that occurred in a parking lot of a retail store located on the south end of Rice Lake, WI.

Later in the day, more information was released by both the Rice Lake Police Department and the Barron County Sheriff’s Department. 

The investigation of the gunshot incident was handed over to the Barron County Sheriff’s Department by the Rice Lake Police Department. In a press release today from the Barron County Sheriff’s Department, it was confirmed that a woman did receive a gunshot wound and that the incident did not occur in Rice Lake, but rather at a residence south of the City of Barron in Barron County.

Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald spoke to DrydenWire.com by phone and confirmed that the woman who reported the incident, which DrydenWire.com has learned to be Darla Hill, was placed under arrest for Misdemeanor Obstruction for providing false information to law enforcement regarding the incident. 

At this time, it is unknown to DrydenWire.com why Hill initially fabricated information about the location of the incident. 

Sheriff Fitzgerald said that there were other “players” involved in this situation and that they “were either in custody or cooperating with law enforcement”. The Sheriff said that he anticipates other charges to be filed once the investigation has been completed on the other "players".

Rice Lake Police Department has stated that their Department will be referring a case to the Barron County District Attorney’s Office for possible criminal charges of obstruction due to the fabricated story that Hill initially provided.

The firearm involved was located, and there is no further danger to the public resulting from this situation.

Pursuant to the direction of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, as found in Supreme Court Rule 20:3.6, Trial Publicly, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.