Police Blotter: Drunk driver mounts dangerous protest against TV news camera

A drunken drug-dealing teen found a TV news camera thrust into his face shortly after crashing his car on Crystal Springs Drive. To protest, the teen ran into the roadway and refused to leave until the filming ceased. Police yanked him from the road and booked him on no less than six charges.

Also this week, a party bust on Tolo, a raccoon shooting on Venice Loop and strange Harry Potter-inspired graffiti appears at the high school.

July 27
Party bust: Responding to a noise complaint on Tolo Road just after 1 a.m., police discovered a house party in which several underage people were drinking alcohol. Police saw around 10 youths drinking beers outside the house. All appeared under the legal drinking age. As police approached, the youths ran inside the house. When party-goers refused to open the door or come outside, police obtained a search warrant by phone, noting to a judge that the home had been the site of a previous an alcohol overdose by a minor and arrests for underage drinking and assaults. Once inside, police found party-goers hiding behind a coat rack, in bedrooms, in a shower stall and one young woman was caught slipping out a window. One party-goer was found asleep and highly intoxicated. Several cans of beer were found in a garbage can. A 58-year-old woman was arrested for providing a premises for minors to drink alcohol. Four young people were arrested for underage drinking. One had a warrant for drunk and reckless driving.

July 25
Crash: A Bainbridge woman drove her car through several mail boxes and collided with a power pole on Sunrise Drive shortly after 9 p.m. The driver was uninjured. She had no recollection of the incident.

July 23
Fire: The roof of a shelter housing a kiln at Eagledale Park on Rose Avenue was set on fire by radiant heat emanating from the kiln just before 3:30 p.m. Fire crews quickly extinguished the flames. Police saw no evidence that the fire was intentionally caused.

Crash: A Bainbridge male injured his head, neck and torso when he lost control of his bicycle while traveling downhill on Bucklin Hill Road. Witnesses said loose gravel on the road’s shoulder may have caused the crash. The bike went end-over-end at least once, witnesses said.

July 22
Shot: A Bainbridge man shot a raccoon with a rifle outside his Venice Loop home
after it attacked his dog shortly after 2 a.m.

Drunk driving: A 48-year-old Bainbridge woman was arrested for drunk driving and resisting arrest near Lovgreen Road just before midnight. Police initially noticed the suspect’s slow-moving SUV braking and turning in an erratic manner on North Madison Avenue. An officer followed the SUV to a Pleasant Place home and asked the suspect about her driving. The suspect said she drives slowly because she is extra careful. The officer noticed that the suspect was slurring her words and smelled strongly of alcohol. The officer told the suspect she was not free to leave as she entered the house. The officer grabbed her arm and pulled her back on to the porch. The suspect continued to resist as a passenger in the SUV began yelling at the officer. The officer called for backup and continued to try to apply handcuffs to the suspect. The passenger asked the officer where his backup was and questioned his actions. Once handcuffs were placed on the suspect’s wrists, she sat down and refused to get up. Two other officers arrived and assisted with the arrest. The suspect wept and said one of her wrists was broken. She was transported to the county jail.

July 21
Drunk driving: A 19-year-old Bainbridge man was arrested for drunk driving, reckless driving, obstructing an officer, marijuana possession, illegal possession of prescription drugs and drug possession with the intent to sell. The suspect came to the attention of police after he lost control of his Dodge Dart car on Crystal Springs Drive and collided with mail box and fence. Two passengers were seen leaving the scene. One passenger appeared to have suffered injuries, according to a witness. The suspect had the odor of alcohol on his breath but denied drinking. He became angry when a Bainbridge Island Television reporter began video recording him. He yelled at the reporter, who had been riding along with police, to stop recording. The suspect left his car and walked into the roadway and refused to leave until the recording ceased. Police apprehended the suspect and handcuffed him. They asked him about his passengers who had been seen fleeing the scene. One passenger appeared to have been bleeding from his back when he left, a witness said. The suspect refused to disclose information about the passengers and demanded a conference with his mother, an attorney. A tow truck driver found a pouch inside the suspect’s car that contained a marijuana pipe, a small bag of marijuana, a jar of marijuana, a variety of prescription drugs, a set of scales and $45 cash. The pouch’s contents led police to believe he intended to sell drugs. The suspect denied that the pouch was his or owned by his passengers. He was transported to the county jail.

Graffiti: Several spray-painted pictures and words were found on Bainbridge High School buildings and property. The graffiti included several references to the literary character Harry Potter. The young wizard’s portrait was painted on a sidewalk. Other illustrations included depictions of eyes on a building. The words “Are they real?” was written next to another illustration of eyes. “Oh, God. They know I’ve seen them” was written on wall. The number “420” was written in the school colors of blue and gold. School officials estimated damage caused by spraypainting at $100.