Deputy chief promises to examine domestic violence arrest policies involving elderly suspects
DAYTONA BEACH — Police amended their policy on domestic violence arrests days after a 95-year-old woman was jailed on allegations she slapped her granddaughter with a slipper.
The Daytona Beach Police Department announced Thursday that an on-duty supervisor will respond to future calls resembling the one on Saturday so that similar situations can be better assessed.
Additionally, the State Attorney's Office confirmed Thursday that it will not prosecute Hattie Reynolds, who was charged with one county of misdemeanor domestic battery.
Assistant State Attorney Tara Libby stated in a court document that her office has declined to prosecute Reynolds.
Shortly before noon Saturday, Daytona Beach police responded to a home on Loomis Avenue after Reynolds called to report her granddaughter was cursing at her and refusing to get out of bed, according to an arrest report.
The granddaughter was interviewed by the responding officer and said Reynolds had smacked her on the left side of her face with her slipper, police said. There were no marks on the granddaughter's face, but police took Reynolds to jail, the report stated.
On Tuesday, Daytona Beach police Chief Craig Capri conceded that Reynolds probably wasn't a threat, but said Florida law requires that an arrest be made following a response to a domestic violence call. A pair of local attorneys disagreed, saying police have discretion in domestic violence arrests.
Capri was on vacation Thursday and unavailable for comment, but Deputy Chief Jakari Young issued a statement Thursday evening on the police department's website.
"Sadly, we have seen domestic violence calls turn deadly," Young stated. "This is why since 2012, it has been the department’s policy to arrest the primary aggressor when called to the scene of a domestic dispute. An arrest defuses the situation and keeps all parties safe. This is what happened in the case of Hattie Reynolds."
He went on to say that responding police officers "followed the department's established policy, which does not allow for officer discretion in the face of age, gender or disability."
Young added that the agency will evaluate and update the policy and officer training in light of Reynolds' arrest.
"As an agency, we are committed to exploring the best practices for handling incidents when the aggressor is an elderly person," Young said. "Moving forward, we will ensure that the on-duty supervisor responds to the scene to better assess the situation and make a determination on the best course of action to take to resolve the dispute.”
No one answered when a reporter knocked on the door of Reynolds' home Thursday.
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