A man in the parking lot of 7/11 at 3725 Jenkins Road told police he just got out of jail for panhandling. An officer asked the man what he was doing in the parking lot and he said he was panhandling to get money because he has diabetes. The man asked for a ride to the Community Kitchen and the officer transported him without incident.
* * *
Police spoke with the owners of The Flaming Rooster at 3202 Brainerd Road and it was determined that they didn’t have the proper permits for their after-hours gathering to go past midnight. They said the person that was renting their venue, the promoter of the event, had booked their venue at around 4 or 5 p.m. due to a last minute issue with their previous venue, and they were not aware of the permits required to host the event. They were made aware of how to get these permits for their next event, and the event was ended and all parties left the building/surrounding area without incident. There were no significant incidents or problems that occurred in relation to the event being held. Both owners were very cooperative with police and thankful for their presence in the area while the event was being held. The owners ensured that there was armed security within the building and in the parking lots, as well as at the front door checking the party-goers for weapons and other illegal items prior to entering the building.
* * *
A woman was warned by the Cookout Restaurant at 5001 Brainerd Road not to return because she was begging customers for money. She came back to use the bathroom and walked off the property afterward, pretending such a return was okay. An officer tracked her down and warned her not to return or she would get a trespassing warrant.
* * *
Officers saw several vehicles in the parking lot at a location on Lee Highway as well as several people entering the building through the rear entrance. Police said this address has historically been an after-party spot that would open at approximately 3 a.m. on the weekend. This venue has no permits on file for special gatherings after midnight. An officer spoke to the owner and co-owner and they said the venue is a recording studio. The owner said he had to be moved out of the building in a few days. Police told him the building needed to be vacated due to the violations.
* * *
A woman on Hixson Pike told police the tire on her vehicle was slashed and she feels it was a neighbor. There was no evidence the neighbor slashed the tire. An officer saw the front driver side tire was flat and there was a cut in the sidewall. The cut was a T shape and not a clean slash consistent with being slashed by a knife. It is undetermined if the tire was slashed. The woman said it cost approximately $100 for a new tire.
* * *
A woman on N. Hill Lane woke up and found the back passenger side window of her vehicle was broken out. She said the car had been gone through, but there was nothing of value left in the vehicle and nothing was taken. Another vehicle on scene was left unlocked and had also been gone through. Nothing of value was taken out of that car either.
* * *
A man told police his vehicle had been damaged in a car wash on Lee Highway. He said the track stopped and a car hit him from behind. The man’s vehicle had several scuffs and abrasions to the back of it. He said it had also taken his vehicle out of alignment and water was now getting inside. The manager of the car wash showed police video of the event. It showed a Honda Civic stop with its brakes applied near the end of the car wash and it sat there for nearly a minute before the man’s vehicle came up behind it, but stopped without hitting that vehicle. A Chevy Tahoe was then pushed into the back of the man’s vehicle multiple times before the equipment was stopped. At the point of impact, the Tahoe's windshield was completely covered in soap and had the large ceiling brush coming down blocking any view of the upcoming issue. The manager briefly spoke with the driver of the Honda Civic. The Civic and the Tahoe left. Since the man didn’t notice the damage right away it is believed that none of the other drivers knew there had been damage done to one of the involved vehicles when they left. The manager said his machinery was undamaged and he doesn’t believe it malfunctioned in any way.
* * *
Police were called to Exxon at 702 Central Ave. where a white four-door sedan had struck a gas pump causing damage to the pump. The driver was described as a black male, 30's and skinny. The driver left after striking the pump.
* * *
An elder with St. Phillips Lutheran Church at W. 25th Street called police in regards to two or three people behind the church who like to set fires and the church would like them removed. Police spoke with two people who were camped behind the church. One of them said she lives at the camp near the Community Kitchen and was hanging out with her boyfriend. The boyfriend said two unknown women told him he was allowed to stay back there, as long as he kept the area clean, while he waited for approval to live at the homeless camp. The officer asked him if there was anywhere he could stay until then and he said yes. They both packed their belongings to leave.
* * *
A person called police and said while parked at City Café at 7641 Lee Hwy., someone entered their car and stole a blank money order for $50.
* * *
A woman told police she had two checks stolen from her local post office at 7610 E. Brainerd Road. The two checks were then whitewashed, forged and cashed. The first check was originally written out to Athena Annuity and Life in the amount of $15.31. The check was then forged and cashed in the amount of $9,000 from a currently unknown cash-check store. Another check was again cashed in the amount of $9,800 and made out to a different person. That particular check was originally made out to TN American Water in the amount of $77.20.
* * *
An officer was on a separate call on Quinn Adams Street regarding package thefts and was speaking to a woman as a potential witness to those thefts when she said a package of hers was also stolen. The package contained $120 worth of clothes and was in her mailbox. The woman and other victims of theft in the area believe a local homeless man is responsible for the thefts but there is no evidence at this time that he is responsible.
* * *
An officer initiated a traffic stop on Center Street on a black Ford Mustang with no tag, traveling at a high rate of speed. The driver was asked to step out of the car and he said he was in a rush to get back home and just bought the car a month ago from a "crack head" for $1,000. He stated that it has a rebuilt title so he has been working on getting it fixed so he could register the vehicle. He didn’t have insurance. He said it was his only way of transportation. The man gave consent to search his vehicle, where nothing illegal was found. The officer gave the driver a warning for his tag, high rate of speed and lack of insurance.