A troubled man was injured after passing out and hitting his head at Kroger and a stolen car turns up on Linden Avenue. We break down the Portsmouth Police Chief’s Daily Briefing.
Suspicious Activity
Just after midnight, a Gallia Street resident said she spotted someone in the yard of the vacant home for sale next door and feared the person had gone into the home. When police arrived on the scene, they discovered an open front door. Officers didn’t find anyone in the house, but they were unable to lock the door since a key is required. The resident said she would keep an eye on the home and call the police if she saw anything suspicious.
At 1:12 am, a Summit Street caller reported that someone had taken the boards off the back door of a condemned house and there could be someone in the house. Police checked the area. There was no one in the garage but there was an open dog door. Officers contacted the health department to advise them to board the dog door shut.
Grand Theft Auto
Adams County law enforcement contacted PPD at 2:35 am to report that OnStar had located a stolen vehicle at a Linden Avenue address.
The owner was on their way from Adams County to pick it up. Officers found the vehicle and impounded it. They searched the vehicle at the owner’s request and released it to her.
Confusion on Fifth Street
An ambulance on a run at 3 am spotted a man wearing a blanket and using a walker screaming about his mother and some bikers around 3 am.
Officers found him a few minutes later and took him home. His mother told police he has mental health issues and got out of the house while she was asleep. There were no issues with bikers.
Disturbed Woman Seeks Help at Church
Around 4 am, a troubled woman turned up at the First Church of the Nazarene and said someone was trying to kill her. The caller believed she had mental health issues going on.
The woman refused offers of treatment or help and became quite agitated. She left to go to a relative’s home in Minford.
Troubled Man Injured at Kroger
A deeply troubled man, who has been taken into police custody multiple times in the past week as well as taken to the hospital twice after behaving erratically in public, was injured after passing out near the Kroger Pharmacy Window around 8 pm.
Police said he passed out due to intoxication and fell headfirst, injuring his head. Medics reported a severe laceration to his right eye socket.
An ambulance transported him to SOMC.
Publisher’s Note: When patients are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, mental health facilities usually won’t take them. At the moment, there aren’t enough facilities to accommodate those in need of emergency mental health treatment. Any assistance our citizens can provide in contacting their representatives is greatly appreciated by law enforcement officials.
Before drafting legislation, our state and federal representatives need to do their research on the issue and talk to those who have knowledge on the subject. Otherwise, you will get what Scioto County has with its numerous non-clinical sober living houses.
The last step is accepting help. No matter how well we may provide inpatient mental health treatment and clinical drug treatment, it ultimately boils down to what the individual decides to do.