A troublesome houseguest may have exposed Portsmouth Police Officers to COVID. Plus PPD dealt with a guy walking the streets with a chainsaw and multiple overdoses. We break down the highlights from the Portsmouth Police Chief’s briefings.
1. Toddler in Trouble?
Just after midnight, a Grandview Avenue caller reported a toddler outside a home. The caller said the child had been crying for 10 minutes.
When officers arrived on the scene, they spoke with the homeowner. The parents allowed police to check on the children inside the home. Officers said the kids were lying down and appeared to be fine.
2. Ice and Guns
A woman knocked on the door of a Kendall Avenue apartment at 8:22 am asking for help. She said people in her apartment were doing “ice” and drinking. She claimed they were talking about shooting her.
When officers arrived on the scene, the man who lived at the apartment refused to allow police to come inside. He did give officers the woman’s belongings. She did not want to press charges.
Officers dropped her off at a friend’s house.
3. Can You Spare A Dime?
Officers responded to a report of a man aggressively panhandling in front of the Big Lots on Gallia. He allegedly blocked people and asked for money.
Police said he was one of a pair of panhandling brothers who are known to target the area. They told him to move on.
4. Hey, That’s My Stuff!
- An Edgewood Drive caller told police her oldest son stole items from her garage just before 1 pm.
- At 1:17 pm, a Coolidge Avenue caller reported multiple items missing from his home.
- Police received a report of money missing from a bank account at 4:30 pm. They took information for a report.
5. Officers Exposed To COVID
Multiple police officers were exposed to COVID-19 after finding themselves in the middle of a dispute about a guest who refused to leave.
It started just before 2 pm, when a 7th Street caller reported a woman who refused to leave the residence. Police had been there the night before and advised her to leave by morning. The unwanted guest told officers someone was coming up from Kentucky to get her.
Officers answered another call to the residence at 2:30 pm, when the woman allegedly blocked the people who lived there from getting inside. One of the residents needed their medication but could not access it.
When police returned, the woman told officers the man who lives in the house has her food stamp card. Officers made sure she got it back and supervised as she gathered her stuff to leave the property. The ride from Kentucky showed up to get her. The residents told her she was no longer welcome in the house.
Before she left, the woman told police she had symptoms of COVID-19. At least three officers and possibly more were exposed to the virus.
6. Unemployment Fraud
A Summit Street caller reported yet another case of unemployment fraud in Portsmouth. He told police he contacted the State Unemployment Office and they froze the account.
7. Under The Influence
- Just before 4 pm, an 11th Street caller reported a man talking to himself and acting strange. The man went north on Offnere Street.
- Police responded to a report of an overdose on Union Street at 7:10 pm. A pan passed out in the bathroom. An ambulance transported him to the hospital.
- At 7:28 pm, police found a man staggering near the road on Gay Street. He told the officers he was waiting on his mom. Police told him to sit on a bench.
- Officers answered an overdose call on Kendall Avenue at 10:27 pm. The caller said a woman was in a green SUV parked on the street. Residents reported the vehicle drove off before help arrived.
- At 10:45 pm, police answered an overdose call at Alexandria House. The woman received treatment but refused to go to the hospital.
8. Locked Out
A woman called the police to a 6th Street home at 4:34 pm. She claimed her landlord locked her out. Officers spoke with the recent tenant and the owner. The owner said an eviction notice was served on all tenants of the apartment.
However, she said she would help the woman retrieve her belongings. Police said it appeared the apartment had been broken into in the past.
9. Fake Money at Kroger
Kroger reported a counterfeit bill just after 8 pm. Police took him into custody and handed him off to the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office.
10. Man With A Chainsaw
Just after 11 pm, an officer spotted a man walking down Lincoln Street with a chainsaw. The officer stopped the man for a chat.
The man said he got the non-working chainsaw from a friend and was headed to another friend’s house to work on it.
Police discovered the man had a warrant from New Boston. NBPD officers headed to the scene to serve the warrant.
The officer made a note of the make, model, and serial number of the chainsaw in case it was reported stolen.
