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January 11th, 2003, 12:21pm
Posted on Wed, Jan. 08, 2003
Woman, 79, charged in altercation
By Julie Wallace
Beacon Journal staff writer
A pistol-packing golden-ager wrestled with a security guard and bent a police cruiser's window frame after raising a ruckus during an afternoon visit Monday to a grocery store, police said.
Wilma Bennett, 79, of May Street was being held Tuesday in the Summit County Jail on charges of carrying a concealed weapon, felonious assault, assault and menacing.
"She's a wildcat,'' said Lt. Sylvia Trundle, police spokeswoman.
Police say Bennett, a regular customer at the Aldi stores on South Main and Arlington streets, got upset while waiting in line at the South Main Street store about 4:30 p.m. Monday.
Bennett, who twice has been escorted from the store for mouthing off to the clerks because she didn't like lines, was operating on a last-chance agreement -- she had to behave or be permanently barred, said Richard Shaver, the 31-year-old security guard who ended up wrestling with her.
On Monday, Bennett started growing loud almost immediately after approaching the checkout area. The clerk summoned Shaver, who walked over to escort her from the store.
Instead, he said Bennett smacked him across the face and pulled out a gun -- one that Shaver believed to be a toy -- and started saying she wanted to shoot him.
That remark started the wrestling match, with Shaver grabbing the woman by the wrist so he could face the gun away from the two of them and other customers in the store.
That proved to be a good decision: The gun wasn't a toy. It turned out to be a loaded .22-caliber revolver, police said.
"She's got a bad attitude... but I'd never believe she'd go that far,'' Shaver said Tuesday.
She kicked Shaver during the struggle, leaving bruises on his legs. The kicking continued when police arrived -- she kicked at the officers and kicked the window frame of the cruiser door so hard that she bent it, Trundle said.
"She's a pretty feisty lady,'' Trundle said.
Woman, 79, charged in altercation
By Julie Wallace
Beacon Journal staff writer
A pistol-packing golden-ager wrestled with a security guard and bent a police cruiser's window frame after raising a ruckus during an afternoon visit Monday to a grocery store, police said.
Wilma Bennett, 79, of May Street was being held Tuesday in the Summit County Jail on charges of carrying a concealed weapon, felonious assault, assault and menacing.
"She's a wildcat,'' said Lt. Sylvia Trundle, police spokeswoman.
Police say Bennett, a regular customer at the Aldi stores on South Main and Arlington streets, got upset while waiting in line at the South Main Street store about 4:30 p.m. Monday.
Bennett, who twice has been escorted from the store for mouthing off to the clerks because she didn't like lines, was operating on a last-chance agreement -- she had to behave or be permanently barred, said Richard Shaver, the 31-year-old security guard who ended up wrestling with her.
On Monday, Bennett started growing loud almost immediately after approaching the checkout area. The clerk summoned Shaver, who walked over to escort her from the store.
Instead, he said Bennett smacked him across the face and pulled out a gun -- one that Shaver believed to be a toy -- and started saying she wanted to shoot him.
That remark started the wrestling match, with Shaver grabbing the woman by the wrist so he could face the gun away from the two of them and other customers in the store.
That proved to be a good decision: The gun wasn't a toy. It turned out to be a loaded .22-caliber revolver, police said.
"She's got a bad attitude... but I'd never believe she'd go that far,'' Shaver said Tuesday.
She kicked Shaver during the struggle, leaving bruises on his legs. The kicking continued when police arrived -- she kicked at the officers and kicked the window frame of the cruiser door so hard that she bent it, Trundle said.
"She's a pretty feisty lady,'' Trundle said.