Police officers in Pinellas County, Florida, responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a domestic disturbance after witnesses said an elderly woman was heard screaming that her husband was going to kill her.
Bodycam footage of the encounter, shared by Florida Man Arrest Cam on its YouTube channel, shows a chaotic scene that ends with the elderly woman in handcuffs.
In the footage, the woman appears increasingly agitated, striking herself in the face and allegedly biting one of the responding officer’s forearm. A neighbor told police officers that the elderly couple argued frequently, and that night had heard the woman screaming, “He’s going to kill me.”
When the officer asked whether the husband had been physically violent with the wife, the neighbor said she’d seen him grab the woman’s arm, apparently trying to calm her down, and confirmed the fight had been louder than usual. She added that the 911 dispatcher, who had stayed on the line, heard the confrontation unfold in real time.
At one point, the officer asked the woman for her birthday. She screamed back, “I don’t remember,” and bashed her head against the seat of the patrol car. She refused to answer further questions.
Her husband later told the officer she had dementia and was “getting old.” Asked what triggered the argument, he said he didn’t know while saying that she’s mostly upset.
When pressed on whether she had any diagnosed condition, he said that they had seen a doctor but didn’t share any specifics.
When asked what set her off screaming, the husband said, “She’s out of her mind. She’s getting old… she loses her mind sometimes.”
Another neighbor told officers that he heard yelling but didn’t see anything. According to the footage, the fight escalated after the woman pushed a trash can and her husband picked it up; an act that prompted more screaming.
While a female deputy checked on the woman, she cried and remained uncooperative, complaining that the handcuffs were hurting her hands. When she was not getting into the patrol car on her own, an officer lifted her in.
She was taken into custody and charged with battery on a law enforcement officer. The officer confirmed to the husband that she would spend the night in jail while he continued to seem unsure of what happened.
The bodycam video has garnered over 4,000 views, with many noting that the couple seemed old and less aware of things. One viewer commented, “Thank god that woman in the car was kind to her. I’d say she has dementia.” One more posted, “She needs hospitalization with evaluation. Dementia with brain damage, and she will need meds with observation until stable.”
Another one elaborated how dementia can impact behavior, “This woman has untreated dementia. I am a caregiver for my mother, and she is the same. It’s a cruel disease as any drugs or alcohol.” Many viewers also slammed police officers for not being kind, as her behavior clearly seemed to be due to medical reasons.
One person posted, “Shame on this Officer…you blew it for a geriatric person. More training!” “This one was quite sad. I hope they find the resources they need to be okay,” noted one more.
Disclaimer: The Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public video record.
