MORGANTOWN — Morgantown Police Department (MPD) was kept busy Saturday night, responding to several calls downtown.
Just past midnight on Oct. 28, MPD responded to a report of shots fired in the area of Chestnut and Wall streets. Officers were on foot patrol within a half block of the incident arrived within minutes.
As officers were attempting to respond, crowds that were in line and congregating around Wall Street fled the area knocking down barricades to leave the scene. One officer was entangled in a barricade and knocked down, sustaining minor injuries.
Officers recovered two .22 caliber shell casings at the scene. It did not appear that anyone had been hurt.
About a half hour before this incident, there was a report of an someone brandishing a firearm near Belmar Avenue who attempted to force his way into a party. MPD officers, along with WVU Police, were attempting to ID and locate a suspect in this particular incident when this report of shots fired occurred. Police do not know if the events are related.
Detectives are investigating. Anyone with any information should call the Detective Division, at 304-284-7522.
According to police, patrons of HQ nightclub, at 2 Wall St., became “unruly and disruptive” during the shots-fired investigation. Several had been sprayed with pepper spray, not deployed by the Morgantown Police Department, and there were signs of drug usage and other violations in the club. Police said they are looking into this incident, and it has been reported to the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration.
