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.
LOL!!!!! I LOVE it!!!
Hey Chena! Look at the kid talking tough!
:)
They sure do. The stiffest thing in the truck was our knees. ;)
Yea, well my wheel chair is a turbo diesel. I didn’t want to have to charge myself up AND my chair.
Awesome! I want one!
The policemen aren’t embarrassed to tell the other cops because the other cops KNOW what a little old granny can be capable of and even if they make a few jokes about it, they aren’t going to really think their fellow cops are wimps.
I’ve worked as a police department booking clerk in a major city. Never underestimate the damage a ‘little old granny’ can do, even if she is in handcuffs. The very fact that the police will be more careful not to hurt an elderly person, makes an elderly person out of control even more dangerous.
I love it! Gonna have to steal that one from ya. When we bought our new truck, our dealer gave me a ladies Harley t-shirt. Now if I can just find those old leather pants.....
Tankchairs! Gotta show hubby that one. Cool!
Yea, I saw that. I’ll be “cane” if you’re abel. ;)
One more glass of wine and I can dance like that too. I’ll have to put on safety glasses though. The last time I did that I got a black eye when one of my boobs flew up and took my eye out.
OH
MY
GOSH!!!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
I’ve always wondered what would happen if I were to hit it on JR...
:)
ROFLOL.
Good evening Ladies.
Just came across this thread and was reading through all the comments ,when I stumbled up on the ones you posted.
Been laughing ever since.
My family things I am going crazy.LOL.
Eh, he’s probably used to it by now. Jenny told Bobby, and Bobby told Heather, and Heather told Piper, and Piper told ME that Ann Coulter’s been chasing him for months.
ROTFLMBO
Why couldn’t you just whack him in the knees grammy? Instead of er...uh...YOU know where!
Evening Stephen.
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