Police find no shots, just fireworks

Police responded to shots fired on Drachman Street and Vine Avenue late Friday night, only to find illegal fireworks.

As police were driving around the area of Lester St. and Vine Avenue, they observed two fireworks shooting into the air in the same area. They circled the area, observed two more fireworks shoot into the air and quickly identified which backyard they were coming from.

The officer approached the backyard fence and heard a large number of people and smelled a strong odor of burned gun powder. The officers went to the front of the residence and knocked on the gate. A woman opened the gate. Police introduced themselves as UA police officers and were immediately invited inside.

They explained to the woman that they were in the area in reference to fireworks and asked if she was aware of any fireworks being present or discharged at her party approximately three minutes ago. The woman said that she was having a party but was not aware of any fireworks.

As police entered the backyard, they said the odor of burned gun powder was very strong. Their attention was then drawn to a table in the middle of the yard that held a variety of fireworks on it. There was also a smoldering crater surrounded by cardboard debris approximately three yards away from the table.

As soon as the woman became aware of the officers’ findings, she stated that they were out of their jurisdiction and asked them to leave. She then demanded that Tucson Police Department officers be called and stated that she would not talk to the other officers until TPD had arrived.

The officer explained to the woman that because they had located the fireworks, which were evidence, they could not leave without taking appropriate law enforcement action. The woman informed officers that she would not say who brought the fireworks and who discharged them.

The woman then called TPD and said that there were UAPD officers in her backyard and that they refused to leave. She also told TPD that they were trashing her backyard. She did not tell them that she had consensually invited the officers into the backyard or that she was in possession of fireworks.

The woman was cited and released for possession and discharging fireworks. The explosives were confiscated.

Golf cart vandalized

A UA golf cart was intentionally vandalized on Friday after possibly being stolen and recovered.

Police responded to a report that a UA golf cart may have been stolen and then found on the corner of Fourth Street and Vine Avenue. Reports say the cart had been purposefully tipped over by an unknown person. The battery to the cart was severely damaged in the incident and was leaking battery acid on the ground.

The cart was put in the upright position then returned to the Student Recreation Center. The battery acid was cleaned up.

Woman vomits in front of officers

A woman was cited for alcohol possession early Saturday morning.

Police saw a woman sitting on a picnic bench, apparently vomiting. They responded and noticed immediately that she had bloodshot, watery eyes, and smelled strongly of intoxicants. She had a hard time speaking, and while she was sitting on the bench, vomited in front of the officers.

The Tucson Fire Department was called to respond for possible medical assistance. The woman was cleared to stay with her friend, who escorted her to Apache-Santa Cruz Residence Hall where she lived. The woman told officers that she “”had hard liquor”” and had been drinking at the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house.

She was cited and released for minor in possession of alcohol.

Woman taken to UMC for detoxification

A woman was taken to the hospital after TFD determined that she could “”not be by herself”” early Saturday morning.

Police responded to a call for a female who could not walk and was vomiting on the sidewalk next to Apache-Santa Cruz. When they made contact, the woman verbally identified herself.

She had vomit on her clothing and smelled strongly of intoxicants. She also had bloodshot, watery eyes. The woman was very uncooperative and argumentative when officers tried to ask questions. Because she had been vomiting on the sidewalk, TFD was called to check her condition. After they arrived, TFD determined that she could not be alone for the night. She was transported to University Medical Center via ambulance.

The woman was cited and released for minor in possession of alcohol charges.

Woman found taking off clothes in parking lot

Two women were cited on charges of MIP after police saw one stripping down to her underwear in a parking lot.

Around 1 a.m. Saturday, police observed a female take off her shorts and boots in a parking lot on Vine Avenue. Police approached the female, who was leaning against the passenger door of a white car attempting to take off her left boot.

Officers asked the woman to put on her shorts. She complied, and they noticed that she smelled strongly of alcohol, and had bloodshot, watery eyes. As she spoke with police, her speech was extremely slurred, and she could not stand on her feet without using the vehicle for support. Officers asked if she needed medical attention, and she said she was “”fine.””

When asked why she was trying to take off her clothing and was standing in her underwear in a parking lot, she replied, “”Honestly, I don’t know.””

The woman said that she was returning from the Kappa Sigma fraternity house, where she had four shots of hard liquor.

Another officer made contact with a woman who was sitting in the driver’s seat. He asked for her identification and was given an Arizona driver’s license with a picture of a woman who did not look like the woman he was questioning.

He asked for her real identification and was given a different ID with a birthday that showed her to be under 21.

She had a blue wristband on, identifying that she was over 21 years old and said that she had gotten it using her fake ID. She also said that they had been at the fraternity with her friend drinking when the other woman began to feel ill. The woman in the driver seat was cited and released on charges of MIP and possession of a fictitious driver’s license.

The woman said that she and her friend were getting in the car to return to Gilbert, where they were both from. The woman in the passenger seat was arrested on charges of MIP.

One of them stated that she had already gotten an MIP and knew “”the procedure.”” Within 15 minutes of her arrest, one woman fell asleep in the passenger seat. She awoke approximately five minutes later and began to vomit heavily.

TFD paramedics were called and said that she needed to be transported to UMC for detoxification. The other woman followed them to UMC and stayed with her friend until the next morning. The car was left in the parking lot.

Police called the fraternity president and advised him of the situation. He was asked to inspect the fraternity for other individuals who were heavily intoxicated and in need of medical attention. He was also advised that the Dean of Students Office would get a notification about the incident.