By John Howell Sr.

Batesville police investigating reports of gunfire early Sunday morning endured an alleged verbal assault that led to the arrest of a bystander.

“While trying to deal with that (report of shots fired) call, subjects from 108 Clinton Street kept trying to come out of the trailer house,” BPD Sergeant Fredrick Payne wrote in his report. “They were very belligerent and cussing at the police,” Payne stated.

Shermika Harris was charged with obstructing/resisting the arrest of another; Christopher Ellis was issued a citation for abusing an officer, the report stated.

Investigating officers found no connection between the people at 108 Clinton Street and the shots fired, Province said.

A woman who left her wallet in a shopping cart in the Wal-Mart parking lot Sunday afternoon apparently lost $360 when another woman in a green Toyota Camry found it. Police were unable to make out the car’s license number when they examined video surveillance tapes afterwards.

“There were several people inside the vehicle and a white female subject with what looked like brown hair got out and took the purse from the shopping cart,” according to a report filed by BPD Patrolman Shawn Dalton.

Police on Saturday arrested a juvenile for shoplifting at Fred’s at 475 Highway 6 East. In other investigations and arrests:

•Police investigated an incident of apparent vandalism at 306 Patton Lane on Sunday. Rocks thrown at a storm door shattered glass, but no attempt at entry was apparent, according to the police report.

•Patrolman Greg Jones did not record his thoughts around 10:30 p.m. Saturday night when he found crashed against a utility pole on Martin Luther King Street near Armstrong an abandoned 1995 Lincoln Town Car containing no driver, no key and no vodka left in the empty bottle “in the floorboard of the driver’s side.” Jones’ “just-the-facts-ma’am” incident report wove a colorful, circumstantial story, nonetheless.

The vehicle was towed, and the owner had contacted police on Monday morning, Province said.

Shortly after his discovery of the abandoned car crashed on MLK Street, Jones was dispatched to the Batesville Square where he arrested three and jailed them for public drunk. Apparently none were missing a Lincoln Town Car.

•An 18-year-old juvenile was charged with first offense DUI Friday night after Patrolman Jon Summerville arrested the youth, administered an Intoxilyzer test, which “registered .029 which is above the legal limit for persons under the age of 21,” the officer’s report stated.

A person under age 21 is considered to be driving under the influence of alcohol if with a blood alcohol content of .02 percent, Deputy Chief Province said. For drivers age 21 and above, a blood alcohol content of .08 percent and above is deemed under the influence. Holders of commercial driver’s licenses are considered to be driving under the influence at .04 percent, Province added.

•Police Sergeant Benjamin Hall also made an arrest for public drunk and disorderly conduct on Vance Street Saturday night at about the same time Patrolman Richard Stonestreet issued a city citation for simple possession of marijuana to an occupant of a car parked on Highway 6 East.

•Police investigated incidents of domestic disturbance, one Saturday night and one Sunday morning. No charges were placed in either incident.

•West Ridge Apartments is offering a reward for information leading to the recovery of a black, four-wheel trailer that was stolen during the weekend.

West Ridge manager Petula Flowers said the weekend trailer theft followed a laundry room burglary last month when thieves stole three coin-operated dryers. The dryers were later recovered in pieces with coin mechanisms missing, Flowers said.

Flowers on Monday said that she had not yet reported the trailer theft to police. To provide information about the missing trailer and learn about the reward, contact Flowers at 563-0430 or 563-1692.