While many families were opening gifts and sipping coffee on Christmas Day, Portsmouth police and sheriff’s deputies were dealing with a series of calls that made it clear the holidays don’t pause chaos.
Here’s a roundup of some of the more unusual incidents officers handled over Christmas Day.
Christmas Morning Door-Kicker on 6th Street
One 6th Street resident woke up to a frightening sight Christmas morning: a strange woman kicking their front door and screaming for someone to call police.
When officers arrived, the woman appeared disoriented and under the influence. She told officers she believed she was at someone else’s house and the last thing she remembered was around midnight. According to her account, she woke up in a field and crawled to the residence.
The woman admitted to using drugs and said she could not remember what happened. Portsmouth Fire Department transported her for medical care. Officers advised her to contact police once she sobered up if she remembered anything that warranted a report.
Pantsless and Pacing Near the Jail
Around 2 p.m., the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance after reports of a woman in a black vehicle wandering near the jail fence line, railroad tracks, and SOMC warehouse—naked from the waist down.
By the time officers arrived, the woman was gone.
Lobby Loot at Findlay Manor
Police were called to Findlay Manor on 15th Street after reports that a homeless man was inside the lobby pushing a shopping cart loaded with old televisions.
Officers arrived to find the man had already left the building.
Christmas Night Fight Sends Man Running for Help
Just after 1:30 a.m. on Christmas, officers were called to the Fast Stop Market after a man ran inside asking for help, saying he was being chased and appeared to have been beaten.
Police used a translator to communicate with the man and followed up at a rear apartment and garage at a nearby home. According to information relayed through the translator, the man had been drinking, caused a disturbance, got into a mutual fight, and left.
Due to the man’s intoxication and lack of cooperation, no report was taken at the time. Officers provided him with a card and advised him to contact police later if he wanted to pursue a report once sober.
Christmas, Portsmouth-Style
From door-kicking wake-up calls to mysterious pantsless wanderers, abandoned shopping carts of TVs, and late-night brawls, Christmas Day proved once again that police work doesn’t take holidays