City police call for backup to control crowd after party 7/7/2015
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, July 7, 2015
By Rupert Howell
A fight broke out in the parking lot of Batesville Civic Center Friday night causing Batesville Police officers responding to request assistance from Panola County Sheriff’s Department according to BPD Lieutenant John Miller’s incident report.
That report stated, “Officer Cagle requested assistance with a large fight in the parking lot of the Batesville Civic Center. . . Upon arrival . . . a very large crowd was actively fighting, yelling, or running through the parking lot. Panola Sheriff’s Office was requested to assist.”
Civic Center Director Roy Hyde confirmed Monday that two separate private events, a family reunion and a birthday party, had rented rooms in the facility that night.
“It’s always outside if there is a ruckus,” Hyde said adding, “We’re pretty well on ‘em while in the building.”
The arrest log from Panola County’s jail indicates no one was jailed in connection with the incident.
A public music and fireworks event had been scheduled the same night to be held in the parking lot area behind the facility. It was cancelled early in the afternoon as stormy weather was predicted for the area.
Miller’s report continued, “The parking lot was eventually cleared, with numerous subjects leaving the scene on foot towards Wal-Mart.”
The 24-hour super store is located in the same vicinity as the Civic Center near the intersection of I-55 and Highway 6E.
That company requested police department assistance with keeping all non customers and juveniles not under adult supervision out of the store according to the report.
“While the Civic Center parking lot was attempting to be cleared, the PD set up at the Wal-Mart entrance to prevent further problems inside the store,” the report continued and then stated that Sheriff’s deputies later advised PD that there was a large crowd at Love’s Truck Stop on Highway 35 N.
Police officers and deputies from the SO responded to Love’s finding the parking lot full of of subjects, “apparently from the same Civic Center event.”
Love’s is located north of the Civic Center at the next I-55 exit at Highway 35N.
Management of Love’s advised law enforcement to order all loiterers in the parking lot and inside the store to leave the property if they were not a paying customer of the business, Miller’s report stated.
“Several subjects during the disturbances were overheard mentioning Patton Lane Park as a possible location for more fights later in the night. The vehicle gates to Patton Lane Park were later closed at the park entrances to prevent access into the park during the night,” the report concluded.