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.
ROTFLMAO!!!
Chena, your comment may or may not have needed a sarcasm tag. I say, live on the wild side and don’t add it now.
Hang the old Bitch!
She deserves it!
two police officers suing an 80 year old 100 lb. woman for hurting them while they are in her residence.
They should be laughed off the force.
It must have been raining that day ,otherwise they would have beem out using their radar gun for some quick bucks.
Send Donations to Free Republic c/o Joe 6-pack. I'll be sure to let the IRS know you've made a charitable donation.
Hey, don't mess with me. I'm a grandma, I've got a cane, and I know how to use it. ;)
Guess I better call for backup.
Chicken. LOL
Jeeeez!!!!
I swear! Cops these days????
A cantankerous 81-year-old WOMAN whops him upside the head with a wooden cane and he has the NERVE to write her up and admit to it?
And he wasn’t laughed right out of the squad room?
Sheesh!
If I was a police officer, I’m not sure I’d want to report the fact that I’d been beaten up by a 5 foot tall, 100 pound, 81 year old lady. I think I’d just go to the emergency room and say I tripped and fell at home and hit my head.
Can’t use a Taser on this woman—the shock might restore her heartbeat.
Oh Boy, talk about the wrong thing to say.
If someone said that to me I would have used something bigger than a cane.
At least she wasn’t screaming “do you know who I am?” while bopping them.
Cops come to the door to check on a woman ..
(why?)
Some guy says she's OK, go away..
(I'm guessing) the cops insisted on seeing the lady
The guy keeps saying no
The cops try to arrest him
Granny appears and says leave him alone (another guess)
Granny is obviously OK
but the cops NOW have a reason
still trying to arrest the guy
Granny takes umbridge
and whaps the cop upside the head with her cane.
Seems to me the cops are guilty of something ... invasion or something.
Granny is defending self and property (boy friend?)
I'll raise you one walker for your cane.
LOL! Hiya, Brad's Gramma! Long time, no see. Ah, I don't really use a cane. I prefer a gun for protection. However, I do have a beautiful selection of diamond willows that I can use when the day comes to make myself a cane. ;)
Ya FELL for it???? :)
I don’t own a walker either.
And yes, your other means of protection are far better.
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