West Columbia

tSunset Blvd., 200 block: Police were called at 11:30 p.m. Thursday after passers–by saw a woman in the road trying to stop traffic. The 42–year–old woman said her former boyfriend had been lying in wait for her to leave a local bar, and when she came out, he assaulted her and snatched her cell phone. She said she wasn’t trying to cause a disturbance by being in the road, but she was only trying to stop cars to get someone to let her use a cell phone so she could call police to make the man leave her alone. When officers questioned the accused man, he said he hadn’t seen the woman since he had a cab take her home from the bar, and he didn’t have her cell phone on him. He told police he suspected the woman might have a slight drinking problem.

tSunset Blvd., 200 block: A fast food restaurant manager called police at 10 a.m. Thursday after she said an employee attacked her. The 25–year–old manager told officers she and the employee had a disagreement, and she tried to send the 27–year–old woman home. The employee got very angry at that point, and witnesses said she lunged toward the manager, and it took several people to hold her back. The employee began screaming and swearing at the manager and just as the witnesses were about to get her out of the office she managed to pop the manager in the mouth with her fist and grab the manager’s blouse, breaking a few buttons and a necklace. They said the employee also “chest bumped” the manager. The manager and all the witnesses told officers the manager was never aggressive toward the employee.

Richland Sheriff

tLongcreek Drive, 1000 block: A man called police at 3 a.m. Tuesday after he said someone may have stolen his car. The man told officers he had borrowed the car from a family member, but he couldn’t remember what it looked like because he was “drunk” when he borrowed it. He said he drove the car to a location and passed out. He said when he woke up the keys were gone and so was the car. He couldn’t remember if he’d been alone or if he gave the keys to anyone. He was concerned as he said the family member who owned the car would be upset if he “lost” it. Deputies couldn’t enter the car into the computer as stolen because the man couldn’t tell them the make, model, or year, and he was unsure about the color. It was tan, green, or black, he said.

tAlpine and South Chelsea Roads: A man was arrested at 3 p.m. Wednesday after he did a 180–degree turn in the roadway while running a stop sign. The man did all of this in front of a patrol car so a traffic stop was initiated. When the deputy put on the lights for the driver to stop, the driver ignored them until he got to some apartment buildings. He then became argumentative and combative and began yelling at the deputy. Even though he had no identification on him, when the deputy ran his name through the computer, they found he was driving on a suspended license. He had two female passengers in the car with him, and they were released at the scene. When he found out he was to be arrested, he told officers to tow the car but since it was in his wife’s name, she was notified to come and get it. While they inventoried the vehicle, police also found signs of marijuana use.

tHillpine Road, 100 block: A woman called police at 8 a.m. Monday after she said someone was stealing her flowers. The 78–year–old woman told deputies that she maintains a flower garden in a common area of the apartment building and that morning she noticed that several pots were missing. Each pot was valued at $40 to $50.

Forest Acres

tCovenant Road, 3900 block: Police were called to a park at 8:30 p.m. Monday during a youth baseball game. A concerned parent saw a man sleeping in a van, and she told officers she didn’t know him or why he was there. When officers approached the vehicle and woke the man up, he had a 24–ounce beer in the cup holder. The 53–year–old man said he had brought his son to the baseball game, and he was merely napping because he had worked the previous night. A check through DMV revealed the man’s license was suspended for failure to pay a traffic ticket. Because he was unsteady on his feet and spoke with slurred speech and because a supervisor for the park told officers he had been to the park inebriated on other occasions, the man was given a warning and told that if he drank in the park again, he would be arrested. Family members were called to take the driver and his son home after the game.

tBeltline Blvd., 2000 block: A club owner called police at 1 a.m. Saturday after four men got into a fight in the bar. By the time police arrived, the four had left, but tthe police found three of them walking down the street. The men told officers the missing man was really drunk and began to punch them for no reason. They said they tried to protect themselves and that’s how the fight started. All three men sustained cuts, bruises, and scratches. One man had a busted lip, but none of them wanted to press charges. The fourth man was soon discovered at the hospital emergency room, and when officers arrived they discovered he had deep cuts on his knees, hands, and lower back. He told officers he was shoved to the ground on top of a broken beer bottle and his back was cut badly. He said the club was packed, and he was trying to get past the three men by touching them and saying “excuse me” when they all took offense and began to hit him. He said the other two men started other fights while he and the one he tried to get past fought. When officers questioned witnesses at the club, the man at the hospital’s story was verified. He told officers he wanted to press charges. The club owner banned all four men from the club.