By Brandon Fincher, community@laurelleadercall.com
Four men were arrested in Laurel on the afternoon of Nov. 11 and charged with being spectators to dog fighting.
Laurel Police Department Investigator Michael Reaves said, “Officers received a phone call through our dispatch center that there were individuals at the rear of Nora Davis school fighting dogs.”
Reaves said the caller was able to give a good description of the location allowing Lt. Robert Morris and several officers in his shift to observe the dog fighting before taking the men into custody.
“That’s an excellent case of community action because they were able to give the officers locations and descriptions which enabled the officers to catch these individuals in the act,” Reaves said. “That’s not only a testament to that shift but the community’s involvement as well.”
Arrested were Wesley Williams, Renicko Russell, Dericco Barlow and Melvin Chandler.
Reaves said pit bulls were the dogs that were fighting. “One of the animals was recovered. The animal suffered some injury from the fighting. He’s being housed right now by the Animal Control Division,” Reaves said.
A separate incident occurred Saturday night around midnight at the Imperial Night Club on 12th Ave. in Laurel.
Reaves said, “Officers of the Laurel Police Department as well as Laurel Fire Department units responded to a car fire.”
The car of an employee at the night club was intentionally set on fire by someone sticking a rag into the gas tank and setting the rag on fire causing extensive damage to the car, according to Reaves.
“A witness saw a red, four-door Jeep Liberty leaving the area where the fire started at a high rate of speed,” Reaves said. “That vehicle may or may not have been involved, but it is obviously suspect from what we’ve gathered from witnesses.”
Reaves urged anyone with information about the car fire at Imperial Night Club to call Crime Stoppers at 601-428-7867 or the LPD at 601-425-4711.
Reaves said police are still looking for two unidentified men suspected of robbing a package store on Chantilly Street on Friday night. He asked anyone with information about that incident to call Crime Stoppers or the LPD, as well.
