Newport Police Log: Teens Cited for Shooting Air Guns

The following reports detail the arrests made by the Newport Police Department from Tuesday, August 3, through the early morning hours of Wednesday, August 4. Descriptions of all events are based solely on police officer reports provided to Patch.

Newport Man Arrested, Says He Was Trying to Get Back to Newborn

Damon M. Howard, 28, of 119 Park Holm in Newport, was arrested around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of marijuana and driving under the influence.

At approximately 9:12 p.m., officers were dispatched to Broadway near Bliss Road for a report of a hit-and-run accident involving a white vehicle striking a fence. Officers were told that the vehicle was now traveling south on Broadway, and upon arrival to the area, they saw that it was pulling into the parking lot of the 7-Eleven on 95 Broadway. The officer says he noticed that the front bumper of the vehicle was in direct contact with the large steel pole that holds the 7-Eleven sign, and that the bumper was folded in and directly against the pole.

Officers made contact with the driver, Howard, who told them that he was coming from Newport Hospital because his girlfriend had just had their baby. According to the report, as Howard spoke, officers noticed that his speech was slurred and thick tongued. They also noticed a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. Officers say Howard became agitated, insisting that "All I want is a sandwich, a bag of chips and a soda."

After failing to produce a license, officers asked him if he had been drinking, to which he replied: "Yes, I had a 40 of beer with my brother, you know my girl had our baby today."

According to the report, Howard agreed to a field sobriety test, stating, "Yes, you know I'm drunk." After failing the tests, officers placed Howard under arrest for suspicion of drinking while intoxicated. The report states that Howard continued to state that he knew he was drunk and that "All I want to do is go back to the hospital to see my baby. Just give me a ticket."

Officers read him his rights at the station, then allowed him to use the telephone to call the hospital. Officers say that when Howard got off the phone, they asked if he wished to submit to a chemical test, but he said he hadn't been read his rights. Officers re-read that portion of the rights, then say Howard became unruly and refused to sign any part of the form. He then demanded to know his rights again and said he wanted to talk to his lawyer.

Officers say that when they began to print and photograph Howard, he became unruly and began to yell. While attempting to place him in a cell, Howard reportedly yelled and cursed and at one point got into an officer's face.

While conducting the accident scene investigation, officers also discovered marijuana inside Howard's vehicle.

Middletown Teen Cited for Shooting Air Gun

Daniel A. Nevitt, 18, of 38 Sherman Lane in Middletown, was cited around 6:45 p.m. Tuesday for possessing and discharging an air gun near Kay Street and Kay Boulevard.

Officers were told around 6:19 p.m. that a vehicle in the area of Washington Square and Thames Street had a party inside who was shooting an air gun out of the vehicle.  According to the report, officers pulled the vehicle over at America's Cup Avenue and Thames Street and checked both rear passengers, before retrieving the air gun out of the pocket of the passenger seat. The man sitting in the rear passenger seat, Nevitt, told the officer that it was his air gun and that he had been shooting it at signs, while his friend was driving. He said he never pointed it at a person nor did he shoot people and that when they came to an area populated with people, he kept the gun inside. Nevitt said he was unaware air guns weren't allowed in Newport.

The person who reported the incident told police that Nevitt was seen shooting real estate and stop signs.

Arkansas Woman Charged with Drunken Driving

Lynn M. Archer Brantley, 50, of Jasper, AR, was arrested around 1:19 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Officers were dispatched to RK Towne Center, off Connell Highway, for a report of an accident involving a parked car. When they arrived, police say they observed a black Jeep Rangler angled into a parking space in front of Wal-Mart, which had apparently hit the front end of a 2001 Ford Escape. The woman in the driver's seat of the Jeep, Archer, stated that she had bumped into the car that was parked in front of her. Officers say that when she spoke to them, she had an extra strong odor of alcohol coming from her breath and that her eyes were bloodshot and watery and speech was slurred. 

Officers say they had her take her keys out of the ignition and asked for license and registration, but that when she went to pick up her purse, she wasn't able to grab it from the center console, despite multiple attempts. Officers noticed a large, half-empty vodka bottle in the back seat.

When they asked Brantley to step out of the vehicle, police say she immediately fell to the ground. Officers had to help her get back in the vehicle for safety because she was unable to keep her balance.

Newport Fire Department arrived and asked Brantley if she was injured, but the report states that she could not put words together that made sense. Because she could not hold her own weight, officers said she was not given any field sobriety tests. Brantley was transported to Newport Hospital for possible alcohol poisoning, where she submitted to a blood-alcohol test.

Local Man Charged with Disturbing Patrons at Gateway Center

Ernest G. Jones, 58, of 40 Freebody Street Apt. 13 in Newport, was arrested around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of disturbing the peace at the Gateway Center, 23 Americas Cup Avenue.

At approximately 5:35 p.m., officers were dispatched to the recently opened Coffee Café inside the Gateway Center for a report of a man yelling and acting disorderly toward people inside, including the clerk. Upon arrival, officers say they watched the man walk out and noticed that it was Jones. Officers say they noticed a strong odor of alcohol from Jones' breath when talking to him.

As officers entered the café, they say a woman flagged them over and told them that Jones was out of control and had made the café employee cry. Officers spoke to the sobbing employee, who said Jones had come in for a chocolate chip muffin, and that when she told him they didn't have any, he began to curse and use racial epithets toward her. The employee said she tried to stay away, but that Jones' anger continued to escalate.

Another witness on the scene said he'd seen Jones also make derogatory statements to a bus passenger. Upon gathering this information, officers said in addition to the disorderly conduct charge, Jones would also be given a trespassing warning not to return to the Gateway Center or its café.

Warrant Charge

William M. Lee, 52, of 908 Jacobs Street Apt. 1 in Troy, NY, was arrested around 6:50 p.m. Tuesday for a district court capias warrant.

Officers say around 6:43 p.m. they were driving in the RK Towne Center parking lot, off Connell Highway, when they observed Lee and another man standing in front of Stop and Shop. Officers ran Lee through the system and discovered he had the active district court capias for failure to appear.