BLANCHESTER — About 2 a.m. Sunday, Christmas Eve, Blanchester police officers responded to a reported fight inside Ron’s Place, a restaurant and bar located on South Broadway Street in the village. Officers arrived and spoke to a woman outside who had been ejected by management. She apparently had not been involved in a fight, and the call was determined to be unfounded.

While officers stood outside on the sidewalk with several customers, an intoxicated person came to the front window, shouted profanities at the officers through the glass and allegedly made an obscene gesture. He fled from officers but was located in the rear outdoor beer garden.

The man was placed under arrest for disorderly conduct and his companion, who was also intoxicated, protested his arrest with profanity in front of numerous other customers, then walked back into the crowded bar. Shortly thereafter she returned, again used profanity loudly in front of others, and was arrested for disorderly conduct, stated a BPD media release.

While officers were outside completing arrest paperwork on the above two individuals, a fight broke out inside the bar. Ptl. Mike Keller entered to quell that disturbance and observed a total of three fights taking place inside the bar.

Another officer entered the bar to assist Keller, and they arrested Robert Scalf, 41, for disorderly conduct. The remaining two fights broke up before they could be addressed by the officers. Two Clinton County deputies sheriff responded to the scene, and officers were able to re-establish some semblance of order, according to the news release.

In the spirit of the Christmas holiday, and in order to allow officers to deal with more pressing matters, the two individuals who were first arrested were released at the scene to a responsible friend. Their names are not being released as they are “uncharged suspects,” making their names exempt from public release under Ohio public records law.

The media release stated subsequent inquiries provided evidence indicating that Scalf, who was intoxicated, used a racial epithet toward an African-American patron of the bar and was punched in the face, possibly by the man to whom the remark was directed.

Scalf was found to be wanted on a misdemeanor warrant from Clinton County Municipal Court for failing to appear on a previous charge, and he was taken to the Clinton County Jail.