What started as a frantic 911 call about an assault turned into one very confusing early-morning police call — and then, while officers were still sorting it out, multiple gunshots were heard nearby.
Just after 2:30 a.m. Friday, a man called 911 saying he had been assaulted near the Royal Lounge on Gallia Street.
Then his location kept changing.
First he said he was near the post office.
Then he told dispatchers he was on the east side of Kroger and being chased by a vehicle.
Finally, he said he was hiding behind a white Ford F-150.
Police found him there.
But when officers checked him over, the story started to fall apart.
According to the police log, the man had no visible injuries from an assault, refused medical treatment, and was described as extremely intoxicated.
An officer wrote that his story “makes no sense.”
Police arrested Joshua Hatfield on a disorderly conduct charge and booked him into the Scioto County Jail.
Then Came the Gunshots
While officers were still dealing with Hatfield, several units reported hearing multiple gunshots somewhere north of their location.
That kicked off another search.
Officers checked around Bannon Park, Frank & Steins, Farley Square, Wayne Hills, Bobby’s, and other parts of town.
People officers spoke with said they hadn’t heard anything or didn’t know where the shots came from.
Police found no shooter, no shell casings, and no other evidence of where the gunfire originated.
So one strange call ended with an intoxicated man in jail — and another mystery started almost immediately afterward.
By the end of it, officers had an arrest, reports of gunfire, and no clear explanation for either the alleged assault or the shots.
