DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A Florida police department is changing its policy on domestic violence arrests after a 95-year-old woman was arrested when she called 911 for help with her defiant granddaughter.
When Daytona Beach police arrived at Hattie Reynolds’ home last weekend, she told them she’d slapped 46-year-old Janeed Williams with a slipper during an argument over the younger woman soaking up the air conditioning and refusing to leave the house. Officers arrested Reynolds on a domestic violence charge, even though her granddaughter did not want to press charges.
The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports an on-duty supervisor will respond to any similar future calls to better assess the situation. The state attorney says she won’t be prosecuted.
On Tuesday, Chief Craig Capri acknowledged Reynolds probably wasn’t a threat, but said the law requires an arrest in response to domestic violence calls.
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