Gunshots or Fireworks?
Fireworks are being set off throughout the city and county during this time of year. Due to the recent shootings, it is imperative that PPD investigate every report. Here are the experiences they had over the weekend.
Just before 6:30 pm, officers responded to 11th Street for a report of 4 gunshots.
An officer investigated, and spoke to railroad employees who also heard the sounds but saw fireworks going off in the air.
At 10:30 pm, a Center Street caller reported hearing 4-5 gunshots in the area. When officers arrived on the scene, they discovered that the source of the noise was fireworks.
Just after 2 am, Campbell Avenue callers reported hearing eight or nine gunshots in the 500 block. Police checked the area but found nothing suspicious.
At 3:52 am, an 8th Street caller reported hearing multiple gunshots in the alley behind the 1700 block. Officers investigated but didn’t find anything unusual.
At 5:12 am, there was yet another call reporting gunshots, this time on 7th Street. The caller said the shots sounded as if they were being fired behind a Lincoln Street apartment. Officers were unable to locate any shooters.
At 1:15 pm, employees from a 7th Street business said they saw a man fire a pistol, possibly into a parked vehicle. An officer spotted the suspect running to a house, and several officers had to force entry. They took the man into custody and booked him into the Scioto County Jail.
However, later that night, Grandview Avenue callers also reported hearing gunshots around 2:30 am. Officers were unable to locate any shooting suspects.
At 11 pm, a High Street caller reported hearing three gunshots and spotting two men running off into the woods. Officers checked the area but did not locate the shooters.
Publisher’s Note:
Portsmouth Codified Ordinance, Chapter 1519.04, prohibits the possession of fireworks. In addition, no person may negligently discharge, ignite, or explode fireworks while intoxicated with alcohol, beer, or controlled substances.
A first offense violation is a misdemeanor of the first degree punishable by up to a thousand dollars ($1,000) in fine or six months in jail.