BLANCHESTER — A Midland man was arrested after Blanchester police say he broke out car windows in the Kroger parking lot, ran away, shouted profanity and slurs at officers, and then resisted arrest, breaking an officer’s finger.
According to Police Chief Scott Reinbolt, just before midnight on Thursday, Nov. 29, police were dispatched to the Kroger grocery store at 1001 E. Cherry St. on a report that a man was breaking out car windows in the parking lot.
“Officers arriving at the store were directed by bystanders to a field just east of the parking lot where the suspect had fled,” Reinbolt said. “Sgt. Gary Mowen and Ptl. Ian Courtney located the man in the field, who ran from them and asked them to shoot him. They were able to catch him after a brief foot chase.
Reinbolt said the suspect is Matthew Totten, 19, of the 100 block of North High Street, Midland.
“Once he was handcuffed, Totten repeatedly attempted to get away from the officers,” said Reinbolt, adding that Totten was shouting profanity, insults and taunts at officers and spitting on them, and he also struck his head against a police car.
“Once he was in the cruiser he kicked the inside of the door, banged his head against the prisoner cage and spit on the floor of the car,” said Reinbolt.
Totten, who is white, told the officers he hates white people, alternately called the officers derogatory names and racial slurs “and told the officers they should have shot him,” said Reinbolt.
During the arrest, Ptl. Courtney sustained a broken finger, which will require subsequent surgery to properly mend, Reinbolt said.
“The subsequent investigation revealed that Totten was in an argument with his girlfriend outside the Kroger entrance, that he became angry, and proceeded to pound on the front windows of the store, knock over trash cans in the parking lot and kicked and damaged a customer’s car in the lot,” said Reinbolt.
Reinbolt said Totten was charged with criminal trespass, criminal mischief, criminal damaging and resisting arrest.
He was taken to the Clinton County Jail and will answer the charges in the Clinton County Municipal Court.
