Crazy calls kept Portsmouth Police understandably busy over the past five days.
They were just a bit late getting the daily logs to us. We have five days worth of calls happening here and it’s really worth reading through all of them. Police dealt with everything from a near-riot over a basketball game to lovers who don’t get the idea of social distancing to an overdosing man showing some of the symptoms associated with respiratory viruses.
Some of this is kind of funny, like a feud over whether shoes are knock-offs or not. Some of it is deadly serious, like hospitals and jails refusing transports. I’ve tried to break the calls up into 12 easy-to-follow categories.
After reading over them, all I can say to the men and women on the front line is a gigantic THANKS!
Stay safe!
Take It Inside
Just after the stroke of midnight on Thursday, PPD responded to a complaint of a suspicious vehicle near Spartan Stadium.
Officers discovered a couple who had apparently not gotten the memo about social distancing or staying inside. The pair said they were on a “date.”
Police told the two to take it inside and reminded them of Governor DeWine’s directive about sheltering place.
Out of Gas
- A teen who helped himself to his father’s truck did not get far. Just before 2 am on Thursday, officers responded to a report that a juvenile had taken his father’s vehicle. The boy told police he’d run out of gas and left the truck on Walnut street. He said his father works out of town and can be hard to get in touch with. Family members said they’d get some gas and go get the truck.
- Sons aren’t the only ones who help themselves to trucks. On Friday, a man reported that his uncle had taken his vehicle. Officers pulled the uncle over and impounded the vehicle, but the nephew didn’t get his vehicle back.It was impounded as evidence in the investigation of a breaking and entering.
Close Quarters
Early Thursday morning, police were called to Jackson Avenue. It seems a woman the resident was sheltering in place with brought some trouble with her.
He told officers he’d allowed a woman with a drug problem to live with him for the past two weeks. A man she owed money to showed up at the home and threatened him with a gun.
Officers got the name of the suspect and will continue the investigation.
Naked Again
A man known to police for his colorful behavior was at it again at Kroger on Gay Street.
A caller reported a man with no shirt whose pants were falling down and said he was yelling and screaming.
Police found their old friend in the bathroom. By that time he was dressed. They sent him on his way.
Wheeling While Intoxicated
- Thursday afternoon officers responded to a report of a possible wheelchair user under the influence on Clay Street. The caller suspected a man in an electric wheelchair was drunk. The man and his wheelchair were gone by the time police arrived.
- Just after 11 pm, there was another call about a drunken wheelchair user on 8th Street. It is not known if the two calls were related.
Basketball Gets Riotous
Portsmouth Police feared they had a riot on their hands after busting up a basketball game Thursday Evening.
Officers say sixty or more people were gathered at the basketball court in Mound Park. When police reminded them about social distancing, the crowd got angry.
Many felt they were being racially targeted. Officers reminded them of the pandemic and state and national shelter-in-place orders.
Police say the situation became ‘borderline’ violent before they were able to clear both the basketball and tennis courts.
Shoe Dispute
Police responded to Robinson Avenue just after 6 pm to a shoe dispute.
A man told officers that three girls were threatening to beat him and his aunt up in a dispute over whether his shoes were real or knockoffs.
Police reminded all involved parties that we’re in the midst of a national crisis and that they should stay home unless shopping for essential supplies.
No determination on the authenticity of the shoes was made.
Hospitals and Jails Say No
- Just before 1 pm on Friday, officers responded to a report of a man passed out near Aldi on Gallia. When EMS arrived on the scene, it was determined that he was intoxicated with an open container. When the ambulance attempted to take him to the hospital, both SOMC and KDMC refused the transport. Officers advised him to go behind the Aldi and sober up.
- A similar situation happened just after 10 pm Friday when police found an intoxicated man on the ground on Wayne Avenue. The Scioto County Jail isn’t accepting prisoners, so officers took him to the station to attempt to sober him up.
Dumping at Water Filtration
Someone decided to skip a few steps and do their business directly at the water filtration plant on Friday afternoon.
Responding to a call about drug use, PPD found that someone had been defecating near the plant. They were advised that employees have found dirty needles and condoms there as well.
The subject was gone by the time officers arrived.
Your Face Isn’t Pregnant
A landlord/tenant dispute got pretty ugly on Friday night.
A resident at the Woodbine Apartments on Kendall Avenue claims her landlord’s girlfriend threatened to punch her in the face.
She told police she advised her landlord she was pregnant and he said that her face wasn’t pregnant, so his girlfriend was going to punch her anyway.
Keep Your Distance
Officers responded to a disturbance on Adams Street early Sunday morning.
Police say people at the scene were incoherent and not really able to explain what was happening. All parties involved told different stories.
PPD reminded them that gatherings of 10 are more people are prohibited.
OD With High Fever
Officers responded to an overdose on Offnere on Sunday night and found something scarier than heroin.
The initial call said the man had overdosed on heroin but his symptoms could indicate meth use. The delirious man had a fever of 101 and was having difficulty breathing. Both are also symptoms of Coronavirus.
Medics placed a face mask on the man before transporting him to SOMC. Multiple officers had contact with the man. They were advised to sanitize to the best of their abilities.