On Saturday (May 5), a Florida woman by the name of Hattie Reynolds grew upset at her granddaughter for not getting out of bed. After several attempts, the 95-year-old became increasingly irate and smacked her kin with a slipper. To settle the dispute, Reynolds called the police but she ended up in handcuffs.
According to USA Today, the Daytona Beach police arrested Reynolds for battery. Reynolds said the incident occurred because her 46-year-old granddaughter, Janeen Williams, began screaming and yelling at her while refusing to leave the home. She admitted to yelling back and slapping her around the house with her slipper. The root of the argument may have something to do with Williams wanting to lay in the air conditioning, which Reynolds says she does not have the funds to support that luxury.
“I can’t … get her out from my bed,” Reynolds said in the 911 call. “I ain’t got nothing to pay bill on air condition all the time for her to go into the room.” While Williams claims Reynolds started the confrontation, the two don’t live together and the slipper didn’t cause any harm; therefore there was no reason to arrest the 95-year-old.
Daytona Beach Police Chief Craig Capri maintains that the officers’ “hands were tied” because of a domestic violence law. “Discretion is taken away from them by the law,” Capri said. However, the Florida Statute 741.29 (3) states police officers have the ability to determine if an arrest is needed in a domestic violence instance once probable cause is established.
Defense attorney Don Dempsey says they didn’t have to make an arrest. “They have the option to issue a notice to appear or make a complaint affidavit and forward that to the State Attorney’s Office for a final decision,” Demsey said. Luckily for Reynolds, she was released by a judge and back home within a day’s time.
