A man who was attempting to break into a Covington home on New Year’s Day was surprised when the off duty state police officer who lived there opened the door and took him into custody at gunpoint.

Officer Harold Tisdale Jr. of Long Creek Drive was at home when the suspect, Kevin Edward Greer, rang his doorbell repeatedly before trying to force entry.

Tisdale opened his door to confront Greer, directing him to lie on the ground as he dialed 911. When officers arrived on the scene, the subdued suspect claimed he had been looking for his girlfriend who lived in the same subdivision.

In a separate incident, a woman from the Riverbrooke subdivision in Covington discovered a bullet hole in windshield of her car, which had been parked outside her home since New Year’s Eve, and a spent bullet lying in the backseat. The woman said she had heard gunshots in the area during the holiday.

Police are also investigating a non-fatal shooting that took place on Highway 142 East on January 6.

On January 5, a woman’s purse was snatched by a white male while she was standing in front of the Salem Road Walmart. He drove off in a gold Ford Ranger.