Recent reports filed by officers of the Hinesville Police Department include:
April 28
Counterfeiting at school — An employee of Bradwell Institute brought two "$20 bills" that had been used at the school store during one of five lunch periods. The officer said they were obviously fake, with "motion picture use only" printed in places on the front and back. The employee said no one had noticed the bills until he started counting receipts at the end of the day. The bills were placed into evidence.
DUI toxic vapors — Officers were called to the Wal-Mart parking lot when witnesses saw a vehicle driving erratically, even up and over a median several times and several quick accelerations. The officer saw the driver holding a can of Dust Off up to his right nostril, sniffing the contents. When the driver handed the can to the officer, the can was frosted over from use. The officer put the can on the car’s floorboard where there were five other cans, all spent. The driver was processed for DUI and later released to MPs.
April 29
Aggravated assault; giving false information to officer — Officers were sent to Liberty Regional Medical Center, where a man came in with a stab wound. He told the officers he was walking behind Taco Bell about 11:30 p.m. when two men jumped him and one stabbed him in the shoulder. He could provide no description, nor whether they said anything. He said he believed they were trying to rob him. After his assault he went to a girlfriend’s home, who went to a neighbor, who drove them to the hospital. During the investigation, the girlfriend gave officers different information, including names, even writing two different birthdates. She was taken to jail. The stabbing investigation was turned over to detectives.
April 30
Reckless conduct — Officers were sent after reports of shots in Eagle Creek Mobile Home Park. A complainant reported that someone in a black Buick shot out the rear window of his gold Impala. On the way, officers learned the incident started in Glenn Brook MHP. As an officer arrived, he saw the Chevy leaving and stopped the vehicle. The car’s occupants complied with orders and during searches, an assault style rifle was found in the back seat. They told officers they were at a residence in Glenn Brook when the other vehicle pulled up and its occupants started shooting at the trailer. They said they did not know who was in the vehicle. After the vehicle left, one of the victims said, he received a call from the shooters threatening his mother’s residence in Eagle Creek. So the victims went there. And, they said, the shooting started again. One of them admitted he had fired the rifle once and the officer’s report said it appeared that shot knocked out the rear window of their vehicle. The occupants would not explain how the shooters in the other vehicle, whom he claimed to not know, knew his phone number. A Walthourville officer, who was working the case in the Glenn Brook connection, said he had been told by relatives of the shooters that there had been a dispute between the parties the night before in Savannah. The occupants were taken into custody — protective custody, at first — and one was eventually charged with reckless conduct. The case was turned over to detectives.
Aggravated assault — A New Hope Mobile Home Park resident was found lying on the ground near his home. There were no apparent injuries or blood. The neighbor who saw him and reported it said he saw nothing suspicious. The victim was awake and when asked to show his injuries, he showed a large dent in the back of his skull. Blood was coming from his ears. He said someone had hit him with something, but he did know who or what. EMTs arrived, checked him and believed his skull was fractured, so they called in a medical helicopter. As they lifted him to take him to Liberty Regional Medical Center to meet the helicopter, the bleeding got worse. As he was being taken away, his roommate arrived and allowed officers to check their home. No signs of a fight were found. The roommate said he was unsure who could have hit the man, but did say he tends to "mouth off" to people when drinking.
May 1
Robbery with gun — A man reported that he fell asleep in his car parked at the Econo Lodge parking lot after leaving the Cream nightclub about 2:30 that morning. He admitted to being too drunk to drive. He was awakened by someone punching him and, when he awoke, he saw a small pistol pointed at his head. He said the two men who accosted him took his military ID, $300, two silver chains, his cellphone and his orange Nike shoes. The report described the victim as still extremely intoxicated, agitated and increasingly rude.
Burglary, forced entry — A Parker Drive resident said that about 2 a.m., she heard a loud noise downstairs while she was upstairs folding laundry. She did not see anything amiss when she turned some lights on and looked out some windows. A relative came by later in the day, however, and saw damage to a door to her garage, where someone had knocked the handle off. The resident said many items seemed to be missing, but she could confirm only that a pressure washer, black tote and 6-foot prelighted, potted Christmas tree were gone.