Beer tasting: Employees at a local Food Lion called police last week after a man began helping himself to the store's inventory. Witnesses brought the man to an employee's attention after they watched him pour two 24-ounce cans of Bud Light he hadn't bought into a paper cup he brought. The man continued to walk around the store while drinking out of the cup until he went into the bathroom, which is where officers confronted him. He was arrested.
Dog days: Two officers found more than they bargained for while checking out a noise complaint in south Charlotte last week. As officers approached the apartment, a man opened the door with an unleashed dog. The man ditched his dog, ran back into the apartment and locked the door. The dog began barking so police yelled for him to let the dog back in before it ran at them. He let the dog in and locked his door. After a few hours, officers acquired a warrant over the phone based on a strong smell of weed. Officers entered the apartment and found $1,437 worth of marijuana, $25,740 worth of cocaine, $320 worth of MDMA, multiple prescription drugs, paraphernalia, stolen jewelry, six firearms, magazines, holsters and ammo.
Possessed: A man assaulted an entire group of people during a Saturday night church service in the University area last week. Witnesses told officers that the suspect became irate and threatened to kill everyone in the church with a gun. He then punched one victim in the face, struck another in the face with the handle of a hammer and bit two more victims, leaving visible teeth marks.
Holiday spirit: A 43-year-old man filed an assault report after a woman threw two ceramic Halloween statues at him, hitting him in the chest. Another woman called police after two vandals attempted to rip the Christmas lights off of her bushes.
Vitamin deficiency: A 69-year-old woman reported a box being stolen from her front porch after it was delivered last week. She originally told officers that the box was filled with hundreds of dollars worth of vitamins but later called back to say that whoever stole the box was nice enough to return it a day later after only taking a couple of bottles worth $40.
Hooked: A 21-year-old man from a small North Carolina town filed a police report after a good night turned into a bad one. The man told officers he was having sex with a prostitute in a hotel, but in the middle of the act another man entered the room. The suspect held him at knifepoint and brought him back to his own room, where he robbed him of $350.
Blotter items are chosen from the files of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty.