Police increasing visibility in Oregon District after fights lead to gunfire
May 16—Dayton police officers patrolling the Oregon District are increasing their visibility after fights led to gunfire during two separate incidents in recent months.
"On March 16 and May 5 there were incidents where a fight broke out on East Fifth Street; officers responded quickly and then someone discharged a firearm," read a statement from the department. "No one was injured in either incident."
Detectives are continuing to investigate both cases.
"Officers patrolling the Oregon District now have increased visibility and additional steps have been taken to assist officers in ensuring that the Oregon District remains a safe place for people to shop, eat, drink and live," a spokesperson for the department said.
On March 16, officers were called to a fight around 11:44 p.m. at Newcom's, 418 E. Fifth St. Within 30 seconds of responding, they heard a gunshot.
Officers headed toward the sound but were not able to locate the shooter.
Around 1:51 a.m. on May 5, officers were patrolling in the Oregon District when they noticed a disturbance near 400 E. Fifth St.
As they moved toward the disturbance someone in the group fired a gun twice, according to police.
Police ran toward the sound and saw a person flee as they approached the group. Officers followed the person and stopped them.
While they were armed with a handgun, further investigation revealed they were not the person who fired the shots.
After police attempted to disperse a large crowd. Some people reportedly refused to follow officers' commands.
Six people were arrested for various misdemeanors, including failure to disperse, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstructing official business, according to police.
