Posted on 04/05/2007 2:43:06 PM PDT by Kimmers
Jurors convicted an 81-year-old woman of felony battery Wednesday for hitting a police officer with her cane.
Betty Chambers showed no reaction when the guilty verdict was announced, but outside the courtroom she used a newspaper to hide her face from cameras. "I'm sick of seeing my picture on TV! I've done nothing wrong!" she said.
The verdict came one day after a judge dropped a charge of resisting law enforcement against Chambers, who claimed she acted in self-defense.
Chambers could face six months to three years in prison when she is sentenced May 15 in St. Joseph Superior Court.
Chambers also is being sued by two officers who say they were injured when they went to her home south of South Bend to check on her welfare in February 2005.
When Cpl. Lonny Foresman and Detective Sgt. John Pavlekovich arrived, the woman's caretaker, Thomas Holleman, now 58, became argumentative and told them to leave, according to a police report.
Pavlekovich reported that Holleman resisted arrest and that Chambers began striking Foresman in the neck and head with her wooden cane. Foresman was diagnosed with a mild concussion, while Pavlekovich separated his shoulder while wrestling Holleman to the ground to handcuff him, the lawsuit contends.
The judge listened to testimony from both officers Tuesday and ruled that evidence showed Chambers did not directly struggle with Pavlekovich or injure him.
The battery charge involved Foresman's injury.
"I felt a bump on my head," Foresman testified. "I shook it off at first because I didn't know what it was. It was just a knock."
But then he felt a second and a third blow.
"That's when I was stunned," he said. "I knew I was hurting at that time."
Chambers, who is 5 feet tall and 100 pounds, testified that she acted out of self defense and feared Holleman would be killed.
"I have to protect my interests," Chambers said of Holleman. "If he's gone, I'm gone."
Holleman served 40 days in jail for the incident.
Goodnight! Nice chatting!
Well, it’s just been warning so far, and we’re pretty far south, I think (San Antonio). So, whatcha going to do while you’re here?
We’re gonna see SeaWorld, the Alamo, do the RiverWalk, eat at The Tower of The Americas, and meet up with about 50 other Freepers at the Memorial shoot and BBQ for TC
Oh my God, you’re coming San Antonio?
Yes. I’ll be getting there Sunday evening, and I’ll pick up a friend from the airport on Monday afternoon. The shoot is on Saturday the 14th. We will be having dinner Friday night (the 13th) at the Rio Casa with LUV W, NYTexan, mylife, froufrou, Eaker, TheMom, (there will be about 20 of us at that dinner). I’d love to meet you while there!
I done sent you a FReepmail.
I done sent you one back :)
There are many police Dept's have a program set up to check on the welfare of senior citizens who live alone. In our town it's called "The are you okay program."
It could have very well been something like that or a family member or someone asked them to check on her.
Most police Dept's don't have the man power to just check on the welfare of someone without a reason.
Oh, I forgot. Cops bad no matter what..
I think ole Holleman might have been the cause of this whole incident.. Ya think maybe?
Did Hubby wake up yet?
:)
The cops were told to leave. They should have done so immediately instead of starting a fight.
Depends on the delivery date for the new swat uniforms and the amored vehicle.
They should have machine-gunned the old cane-waving crow. Kinda odd that her caretaker got upset. Maybe he was eating up her Social Security check.
Maybe the guy was robbing her. It's not so unreasonable to suspect someone might have called in and made that claim. There's no note in the story, that something like that occurred though. Even if it did, the cops sure didn't care about her welfare, because they charged her with felony battery on an LEO, instead of realizing that she wasn't all there. Obviously, the old lady wanted the cops to leave her home also, and they didn't. If they were really concerned about her welfare, they'd have used some rational discretion here.
Yes, he did as a matter of fact. He couldn’t figure out why he had a goose egg on his head though. I told him the Easter Bunny must have come early. ;)
I stick with my gray hair .;)
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