Portsmouth Police Reports: Shootout on Thomas Avenue

Dad Calls Cop on Mouthy Teen

An angry dad called 911 at 1:22 am because his teen son wouldn’t listen to him.

Officers who responded to the scene said some kids were being mouthy, cussing at adults, and not giving their guardians their phones when told to.

The kids turned their phones over to their custodial grandmother and officers advised her on the procedure to file unruly charges.

Coyote Complaint

At 3 am, officers responded to a resident worried about coyotes on Carroll Avenue. She said she could hear them barking and howling and was afraid to leave her home.

The officer didn’t see any sign of coyotes, but did spot a fox. The fox ran away from the officer.

Under The Influence

• PPD responded to SOMC at 4:21 am at the request of NBPD. New Boston officers sent a person to the hospital after a traffic accident and hospital staff discovered drugs on the patient. A PPD officer impounded the suspected drugs.
• At 9:31 am, police responded to 14th Street for a report of two people slumped over inside a vehicle for 2 hours. Police took a man into custody and impounded the vehicle.

Suspicious Activity

• At 4:43 am, a witness reported a man on a bike with a flashlight looking into vehicles on Mabert Road. Officers advised the man to leave the area and not come back.
• A Harding Avenue caller reported a man in Allard Park with his hands up in the air yelling and punching the air at 12:21 pm. Police said he appeared to be mentally ill but not a threat to himself or others. They sent him on his way.
• Just before 2 pm, a Robinson Avenue caller reported a man passed out leaning against a building in the 1900 block.

Shootout on Thomas Avenue

At 3 pm, officers received a report of a shootout in the 1900 block of Thomas Avenue. A witness said a man ran into an apartment after firing shots at a man who shot back at him.

Witnesses said the other man took off down the hill towards the 17th and Mabert Road area. The witness said the shooting appeared to stem from an argument over drugs.

Stuck in the Mud

Just before 3 pm, a caller reported a truck stuck in the mud at Doyle Landing. The caller was worried someone besides the owner was messing with it.

At 3:10 pm, officers discovered several vehicles were parked there despite ‘no parking’ signs clearly posted. It would be impossible to get the truck out of the mud without a loader and it was too wet to take a loader down there.

Unwanted Guest

An unhappy Mom contacted officers just before 9 am to report her daughter and a friend had camped out in her backyard and refused to leave. Police told them to leave and they complied.

Troubled Teen

An unhappy teenager cut herself on the leg with a knife after her phone was taken away. An adult managed to get the knife away from her. An ambulance transported the girl to the hospital.

Custody Emergency

A woman who’d just been awarded emergency custody of a child requested police assistance in picking up the child. She worried that the child’s father had several weapons and might not be cooperative.

Officers accompanied the woman and assisted her in retrieving the child without incident.

Hey, That’s My Stuff

• At 4:50 pm, a caller reported a mini bike stolen from the front yard of a Cherry Street home. Police took information for a report.
• A Kendall Avenue caller contacted police at 5:15 pm to report a stolen tablet.
• Just after 10 pm, a Harding Avenue caller reported a thief made off with an angel from his yard.

Stray Bullet On Kentland

At 5:27 pm, a Kentland Avenue caller said someone in a vehicle shot a gun at a house. Police impounded a .40 caliber shell casing.

Panhandling Problem

Employees of Big Lots reported a man in the store who refused to leave and threatened employees at 5:21 pm. He left before the police arrived.

An hour later he was back in the parking lot of Big Lots harassing customers. An officer had him sign a no-trespass warning from the store.

Dog Attacks and Kills Goat

Just before 9 pm, a Harding Avenue caller witnessed a vicious animal attack. They said a dog attacked and killed a goat.