In Florida, a man found himself behind bars following a mistaken incident in which he sprayed a woman with a hose, erroneously thinking she was infringing on his property.
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to intervene in a disagreement at a residence in the Plantation Bay Golf & Country Club, where a woman had pulled a gun on the homeowner.
The subsequent investigation revealed that the homeowner, Jeffrey Outfield, had incorrectly assumed the woman was trespassing on his property and began dousing her with a hose to prompt her departure. The woman was trying to return to her car, but the 62-year-old man continued to harass her.
In a statement from the sheriff’s office, it was reported that, “The victim stated that as she was trying to reach her vehicle, the man pursued her while shouting at her, which made her fear an imminent attack. To ensure her safety, she revealed her firearm. Once the man returned indoors, the victim stowed away her firearm, stayed in her vehicle, and awaited the arrival of the deputies.”
The police established that the woman had not actually trespassed on Rutfield’s property. Consequently, Rutfield was arrested and charged with simple battery. He was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and was released later.