A woman was arrested on a charge of battery after allegedly attacking Tallahassee City Commissioner Jack Porter ― putting her in a headlock and pulling her hair ― in a dispute over cats in the middle of the street.
The woman was arrested Feb. 12 on a charge of misdemeanor battery and taken to the Leon County Detention Facility, according to court records. The Democrat does not typically name people charged with misdemeanors.
Leon County Judge Nina Ashenafi-Richardson placed her on pretrial release during her first court appearance the next day. She also ordered her to have no contact with Porter and witnesses. The defendant was appointed a public defender and later pleaded not guilty.
“I was attacked by a woman having an apparent mental health crisis,” Porter said in a Feb. 16 text message, “and am thankful for the swift response of TPD.”
Tallahassee police were called to a Midtown neighborhood at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 12 because of a physical disturbance. When an officer arrived, he heard a loud disturbance and saw people on both sides of the road. He asked whether anyone needed an ambulance, but they all declined.
The officer spoke with the woman, who accused Porter of killing her cats “by poisoning them and taking them to the Humane Society.” The woman spoke only of her cats and said she had previously reported her complaint, according to the arrest report.
The officer then spoke with Porter, who had a visible scratch on her face and noted she has ongoing issues with the woman. The commissioner, who is known for her animal rescue work, said she was out riding her bike when she spotted a cat she had rescued before.
“Porter said she had been looking for this cat for approximately a year and a half and got off her bicycle to play with it while her boyfriend went to get a crate,” the report says. “Porter told me that while playing with the cat, (the woman) walked by and recognized her.”
The commissioner said the woman yelled and cursed at her and accused her of stealing her cat. She told her to leave her alone and started walking toward her bike but said the woman blocked her.
“Porter then said (the woman) lunged at her, pushing her and grabbing her face and hair,” the report says. “During the altercation, the two fell to the ground and Porter said her boyfriend returned in time to separate them.”
Her boyfriend told police he saw the woman on top of Porter when he came back with the crate and that he and others who heard the commotion helped separate the two. A witness corroborated that account, who came running from his house after he heard screaming outside.
“He saw (the woman) holding Porter in a headlock and pulling her hair,” the report says. “He said there was a gentleman in a white shirt who was trying to separate them, so he ran to help them by holding (the woman’s) arms as they were pulled apart.”
Porter told the officer she wanted to press charges, though she declined to provide a written account. The officer said he took photos of her injuries and gave her a victim’s rights brochure with a case number.
Florida has a law on the books making misdemeanor battery a third-degree felony if the victim is a certain public official or employee, including “any elected official.” However, the crime must have occurred under the auspices of the victim’s official duties for it to be upgraded, said State Attorney Jack Campbell.
“The enhancement is when we’re in the color of office,” Campbell said. “If you attack the elected official because she was an elected official, which is not here. This is all about cats.”
Last year, Porter was honored during the Animal Aid Society’s Round of A-Paws awards with its Animal Welfare Champion Award.
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Woman arrested in alleged battery of Tallahassee City Commissioner
Reporting by Jeff Burlew, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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