Fast thinking on behalf of a witness who took a cell phone photo of a crime being committed helped local police make an arson arrest recently.

• Everett Whitt Dempsey, 32, of Logan, was arrested in Logan County by Logan City Police Officer Mark Dickerson and Sgt. Dave White on Oct. 24 for arson.

According to police reports, the officers responded to a garbage fire on the 400 Block of Stratton Street. Upon arrival, officers met with a witness who allegedly told them he observed Dempsey place bags of household garbage into the street and then Dempsey allegedly threw a burning sock onto the bags of garbage causing them to ignite, the report states, adding the witness took a picture (with) his cell phone of the act and showed the photo to officers. Evidence was taken from the extingushed fire as well.

Dempsey was taken into custody and booked at the Southwestern Regional Jail at Holden at 2:50 a.m.

Local law enforcement officers have made some other unusual arrests recently as well as routine ones for drugs, drinking and driving and domestic violence.

• Pamela Ann Farley, 47, of Chapmanville, was arrested in Logan County by Sgt. D.A. Browning and Patrolman D.J. Miller of the Chapmanville Police Department for wanton endangerment involving a firearm and obstructing an officer on Oct. 24.

According to reports, the officers received an emergency dispatch about a female at the Highwater Street Apartments who may have been suicidal with a gun.

"Upon arrival, this officer along with Sgt. Browning observed a highly signal 10 (drunk) individual," the report states, adding Farley "ran upstairs of th apartment and became very combative and uncooperative. Officer Miller then "observed a fairely large hole in the wall where the female had fired a rond from a Ruger .45 caliber handgun in the apartment building, where she had a 14 year old daughter and a son in the apartment, along with surrounding neighbors inother adjoinng apartmetns. All individuasheard shots fired."

She was booked at the regiona jail at 10:56 p.m.

•Joshua Collins, 24, of Holden, was arrested in Logan County by West Virginia State Police Trooper P.J. Dick for being a felon in posession of a firearm on Oct. 17. According to police reports the officer was asked to perform a house search on behalf of a probation officer.

"After returning to the Logan detachment....(another individual) brought a shotgun to the office and stated that she had found it in the outbuilding," the report states. "She further stated that she knew he had been hunting with the weapon. ...The owner of the weapon stated he loaned the shotgun to Collins so he could hunt with it."

He was reportedly released on bond.

•Walter Lee Hill, 22, of Boone County, was arrested in Logan County by Deputy Dennis Brown of the Logan County Sheriff's Department for malicoius assault on Oct. 17. According to poice reports the officer responded to a call from Pecks Mill about a fight.

"Upon arrival, I was met by the victim....who stated that the defendant struck her in the head with a baseball bat," the report states. "I could feel a large bump on the back of her head, and I called for EMS to transport her to the hospital as a precatuion....She also stated that the defendant had stuck her daughter...with the same bat. " The other victim told the officer that Hill allegedly struck her in the leg with the baseball bat. "The defendant fled the scene prior to my arrival. I recieved another call about a fight at Mike Ferrell Toyota concerning the defendant," the report adds.

A warrant was issued for his arrest and Hill was taken into custody and was booked at the regional jail at 3:30 p.m.

•Claude Turner21, of Logan ,was arrested in Logan County by deputies J. Sheppard and M. Carter of the LCSD for littering, use of tobacco on school property, disorderly conduct and obstructing an officer on Oct. 16. According to police reports Turner was seen smoking a cigar at a school function and asked to leave.

"The defendant refused and thre the cigar n a vehicle," the report states. "We then asked the defendant to come to the cruiser in order to write him a citation. " When the deputies attempted to frisk Turner he allegedly "became irate and started yelling at the deputies." Turner was then arrested, wherupon he allegedly "started arresting and kicking at the deputies," which caused one of them to pepper spray him.

He was booked at the regional jail at 9:10 p.m.