VALDOSTA — The Valdosta Police Department released details Wednesday on three recent incidents in which juveniles were arrested.

In one, a 14-year-old dropped a toddler so that the teen could fight with police; the teen and an officer suffered minor injuries but the toddler was unhurt. In the other two cases, no one was injured in spite of guns being discharged.

Shots fired near apartment

Reports of gunshots led to charges Monday against two adults and a 12-year-old.

Around 6:30 pm., police headed to a home in the 600 block of East Ann Street on reports subjects were firing guns near an apartment, a Valdosta Police Department statement said.

One suspect ran but was located by officers.

A 20-year-old man and a 12-year-old boy had been shooting the guns, police said. A search of an apartment recovered a handgun and an assault rifle; a third handgun — reported stolen — was found near the 12-year-old, the statement said.

The 12-year-old began to fight officers who were trying to arrest him, and a 17-year-old boy began yelling and cursing at the officers, police said.

The 20-year-old was charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct, misdemeanor discharging of a firearm within 50 yards of a public highway and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The 17-year-old was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and misdemeanor possession of tobacco products by a minor.

The 12-year-old was detained for felony possession of stolen property, obstruction of an officer, misdemeanor possession of a firearm by a minor, misdemeanor reckless conduct and misdemeanor discharging of a firearm within 50 yards of a public highway.

“Due to the time of day when this incident occurred, children were playing outside, and people were coming home from work. We are lucky that these reckless actions did not injure anyone. Not only is it disturbing we had a 12-year-old shooting a gun off, but then as they lawfully arrested him, he tried to physically fight our officers,” said Police Chief Leslie Manahan.

Juvenile charged in motor vehicle theft

A 14-year-old was charged with motor vehicle theft and child cruelty after facing police while holding a toddler.

Around noon Tuesday, police were at a home in the 1800 block of North Troup Street talking with the boy and his mother about his involvement with some vehicle thefts, a Valdosta Police Department statement said. The boy was holding a 2-year-old child.

As officers tried to detain the juvenile, they tried to get the boy’s mother to take the toddler; the juvenile dropped the child and tried to fight the police, the statement said.

The teen was taken into custody; EMTs checked out the toddler, who had no injuries, and the juvenile and an officer, both of whom had superficial injuries, police said.

The teen was taken to a Regional Youth Detention Center. Police said he faces charges of two felony counts of motor vehicle theft, one felony count of obstruction of an officer, one felony count of cruelty to children in the second degree and misdemeanor possession of tobacco and tobacco-related objects.

Shots fired; teen arrested

Around 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, police were sent to the 2300 block of Deborah Drive on reports someone was shooting a gun, a Valdosta Police Department statement said.

A male was seen running as officers arrived. Police and Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office deputies searched for him, the statement said, and a 16-year-old was taken into custody. A firearm was recovered.

Officers contacted the Department of Juvenile Justice, which authorized the juvenile be detained for reckless conduct and possession of a firearm by a minor. He was transported to a Regional Youth Detention Center.

“This was great teamwork by our department and the sheriff’s office to quickly and safely apprehend this juvenile. His reckless actions and disregard for human life, endangered the lives of members of our community,” Police Chief Manahan said.