best of the blotter: yard signs, shrimp platters, and trying to pick up chicks.

ASSAULT: Customers at BW3 called police Oct. 10 after they witnessed a fight outside of the restaurant. A man said he was head-butted and believed his nose was broken but declined medical attention. He and his co-workers had a few drinks and were in the parking lot when a fight erupted over someone “calling shotgun.” The co-workers left the man at the bar and he had called his wife to pick him up. He did not want to pursue charges.

THEFT, BRAINARD ROAD: A woman reported Oct. 11 sometime overnight, someone had stolen two Obama election signs from her yard as well as her neighbor’s. She told police she had paid $20 each for the signs, and others appeared to be missing along the street as well. 

THEFT FROM YARDS, CHARDON ROAD: A woman reported Oct. 5 somebody stole her Barack Obama campaign sign from her yard. She said she purchased it four years ago for $29.95.
The next day, a man said three Obama signs were taken from his yard overnight.


DRUG POSSESSION, EAST BRIDGE STREET: A motorist did not help matters by telling police he had “soft hands.”
An officer stopped a vehicle at 1:15 a.m. Oct. 14 for a traffic violation. The driver was asked why he cut off another car. He said he was busy eating and was nervous when seeing three police cars in the area.
The officer asked the driver if he had been smoking marijuana, since there was a strong odor of the drug inside the vehicle. The motorist said he had not smoked marijuana since he was arrested by police last month. He said he rolled joints for his friends who had been in the car earlier. He said he did the rolling because he has “soft hands.”
Marijuana seeds and a small bag of suspected marijuana were in the driver’s-side door pocket. A large amount of alcohol also was in the car.

UNDERAGE POSSESSION OF ALCOHOL, DETROIT ROAD: Shoppers at Giant Eagle told police Oct. 7 a man in a car was following women in the parking lot as they exited the store. Officers located the suspect, a North Olmsted man, 18, who claimed to be practicing his night driving skills. When pressed further by police, the suspect eventually admitted that he was actually trying to pick up women, but none ever spoke to him. He was arrested when police found beer in the car. 

COMPLAINT, MADISON AVENUE: A woman told officers that a man she has a protection order against kept walking past the bar where she was Oct. 13.
She added that he was flexing his muscles and making faces through the windows.
Officers noted that they found the man across the street, nowhere near the bar.

ASSAULT, ORANGE PLACE: Three diners at the Red Lobster were arrested Oct. 10 after they went after employees who told them they could not share one “All-You-Can-Eat Shrimp Platter.“ Police were dispatched about 6:30 p.m. for a report of a fight in the lobby and arrived to find three women in the parking lot who matched the suspects’ descriptions. They told police they were assaulted by several Red Lobster employees at the hostess stand. But the restaurant manager told police she had informed them they would have to purchase two more platters, at which point they became aggressive and were asked to pay their bill and leave. They continued to yell profanities on their way out, then one of them came around the hostess stand, with one employee being struck in the chest and another in the face with a blow that knocked her to the ground. When other employees attempted to break up the fight, at least one more was struck in the mouth. Two of the suspects were charged with simple assault, while the third is facing a disorderly conduct charge. Each posted a $250 surety bond. 

HARASSING TEXTS, EAST BEND DRIVE: A resident received a string of text messages asking if they wanted to buy bath salts just after 1:30 p.m. Oct. 12. When the person responded "wrong number," they received another message saying the seller wasn’t law enforcement.
Again they responded wrong number, but then were told they better buy them. The resident just wanted police aware and will ignore any more text messages from the number.

MULTPLE CHARGES, RIVER OAKS DRIVE: Two men were arrested just after 2 a.m. Oct. 6 at an apartment complex on River Oaks Drive. One man was stabbed during a fight over an AC/DC CD, according to police. Dana Petty, the man who was stabbed, was found kicking a glass door in an attempt to break in to an apartment.