Poplarville police work cases of gunfire at store, and stolen four-wheeler
Published 8:41 am Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Poplarville Police officers recently worked two cases, one of which was a fight that included gunshots at a convenience store. The second case involved a stolen four-wheeler.
Chief Butch Raby said the fight occurred the evening of March 30, at the gas station at the intersection of Highway 26 and Main Street.
Officers responded to a call of gunshots at the store and spoke to witnesses who stated a verbal altercation ensued in the store between a black man and a white man. The black man left the store and when the white man also exited, the fight turned physical, Raby said.
During the physical altercation, the white man pulled a handgun and the fight between the two ended up on the ground before two shots were fired into the ground. Raby said the man with the gun has a permit for it. At some point during the fight, the black man took the firearm from the white man, left the scene and called police. When officers arrived, they found the white man had also left the scene.
Raby said no charges have been filed and no arrests have been made at this time, but the investigation is ongoing. Raby said his officers have the identity of the white man and are still looking him to hear his side of the story. Raby declined to release the name of the man until the investigation is complete and/or charges are filed.
Officers with the department also worked a case of a stolen four-wheeler that resulted in the arrest of two suspects. Raby said the department received a report about the stolen vehicle Monday afternoon. The caller alleged that the four-wheeler was taken from a home on South Allen Street in Poplarville.
Officers searched the area and gathered information that identified a possible suspect. Witnesses later reported seeing the suspect riding the vehicle in the middle of the road on South Allen Street and reported that a female got on the back of the four-wheeler before the two headed toward City Park, Raby said.
Officers later learned that the vehicle was at a home on the 1600 block of Dupont Harts Chapel Road near a pond. Raby said officers arrived to find two people on the vehicle, 26-year-old Michael Woodard, who had a last known address of 324 Peters Rd., Poplarville and 33-year-old Taren Lea Cloud, who had a last known address of 26 Joe R. Lee Rd., Poplarville.
The suspects attempted to escape, but were captured and taken into custody for grand larceny. Raby said the vehicle was recovered.