Meatpacking Marauder: A man entered a grocery store and started loading packages of chicken and steak in a cart. As one of the grocery store workers watched, the carnivorous crook then shoved the steaks down his pants, and exited the store without paying. As the employee approached the carnivorous cad outside, he pulled out a knife and told him to stay back. The meat thief got away with approximately five steaks, valued at $55.
Crazy Guy Alert: A city bus driver was making a routine stop at the downtown transit center when a man started making threatening comments while standing outside the bus. The bus driver asked the suspect several times if he needed to get on board, and his only reply was “I’m gonna get you. I know where you live, and I’m gonna get you and John.” Finally the bus driver had heard enough, shut the door and drove off, leaving the disturbed man standing there alone mumbling to himself.
Hit and Run: While driving through his apartment complex, a man noticed another motorist driving toward him on the wrong side of the street. The two cars collided head-on at a slow speed. After the minor fender bender, the guy driving the wrong way got out of his car, informed the other driver he wasn’t going to wait for the police, and left the scene.
Drive-By Purse Snatching: While standing near the side of the road waiting for a ride, a woman was approached by a car with three male passengers. The driver pulled out a gun and demanded the woman’s purse. She handed it over to them and the three men drove off without further incident.
Just A Coincidence…: A brief time after the purse snatching incident above, a man parked on the side road was approached by another car with three male passengers. One of the men got out of the car, punched the other driver in the face, and took his wallet.
“Holy Shit”:…Is exactly what this reporter said last week when, while returning from getting police blotter reports downtown, he witnessed a tire come flying off an 18-wheeler traveling about 70mph down I-77. The giant black rubber missile smashed into the side of a pick-up truck in the next lane, then miraculously flipped and spun into the median without striking any other vehicles or causing an accident. Both trucks pulled quickly to the side of the interstate, and it appeared that there were no injuries.
Blotter items are chosen from the files of the Charlotte Police Department.
This article appears in Apr 6-12, 2005.
