Sound familiar? "I've only had a couple of beers."

A Gaffney man was arrested after he told police he only had two beers, a report at the Gaffney Police Department states.

Officer Scott Tallent has charged Thomas Edward Dawkins, 56, of 639 4th St., Gaffney, with 2nd offense driving under the influence, driving under suspension and open container violation.

Tallent went to the parking lot of Fred's store at East Frederick Street and Wilkinsville Highway at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, after receiving a report of a Blazer parked there with an open container of beer inside it.

The officer saw a vehicle matching the description leaving the parking lot when he arrived. He pulled the vehicle over a short distance away and said he could smell alcohol and perfume when he approached the vehicle, according to the report.

Dawkins refused to take a breathalyzer test at the Cherokee County Detention Center. Police said he has prior convictions for driving under the influence in December 1978 and November 1999. He has a prior conviction for driving under suspension in September 1999 and also has numerous drug violations on his record, the report states.

Carjacking victim's

auto found

Police located a carjacking victim's 1996 Dodge Stratus on Frye Road, a report at the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office states.

The car was taken shortly after midnight Wednesday from Osage Circle in Gaffney.

Richardo Martinez, 25, of Gaffney told police someone punched him in the head and took the car, the report states.

Don't drink

and shoot

Sheriff's deputies have arrested a Blacksburg man after multiple shots were fired in the vicinity of his home at 9 p.m. Saturday, a report at the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office states.

Joey Lynn Reed, 44, of 240 Caldwell Road, is charged with assault with intent to kill and shooting under the influence.

Reed had a verbal argument with a neighbor and a man from Clover outside Reed's home and went into his home and got a long gun and fired the weapon in the direction of the men, the report states.

The neighbor went to his home, got a shotgun and fired the weapon into the air. Reed responded by running into the woods and firing his weapon again, police said.

When police arrived, Reed appeared very intoxicated and was arrested, police said. He refused a breathalyzer test.

Deputies saw

him do it

A 40-year-old man was arrested after he assaulted another man in front of a sheriff's deputy at 7:40 p.m. Monday, a report at the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office states.

Deputy Ronnie Painter has charged Joe Edward Messer of 138 Niles Lane with assault and battery and resisting arrest.

Painter said he arrived at the residence of Darrell Pennington, 32, of 147 Miles Lane when Messer pulled up behind the deputy at a high rate of speed. Messer got out of his vehicle and began to assault Pennington in front of Painter, the report states.

The deputy attempted to stop Messer and apprehend him, but Messer resisted and began assaulting the deputy, who sprayed a chemical spray to subdue him, the report states.

'Come to'

fighting

A man who was passed out in a taxi awoke to punch a sheriff's deputy as the officer was trying to arrest him and place him in his patrol car, a report at the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office states.

Deputy B.F. Duckett charged Joshua Wayne Carter, 28, of 57 Red Coat, Cowpens, with public drunk and resisting arrest following the 4 a.m. incident Saturday, the report states.

The deputy said Carter appeared very intoxicated and smelled of alcohol. Duckett sprayed Carter with a chemical spray when the man began resisting the officer, according to the report.

Ledger staffer Tara Jennings compiled this report from public records.