A Leesburg man was arrested after placing a bogus 911 call during a domestic brawl.
Officers responded to a battery involving 36-year-old James Michael Reid and his girlfriend of six years at their Leesburg home at 10:50 p.m. Wednesday, July 8, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
While on scene, the officers heard Reid yelling at them from the outdoor balcony. They commanded him to come downstairs to speak with them, but he refused, yelling obscenities instead. He continued to refuse even after being told he would be charged with obstruction, the report said.
Other officers interviewed Reid’s girlfriend, who advised that her brother and Reid had been arguing. She and her son walked to the other side of the residence to observe the altercation. This was when she saw her brother standing on a ladder against the balcony, where Reid struck him multiple times on the head with a chair, the report said.
Reid then picked up a flower pot with dirt and threw it in his girlfriend’s direction, hitting her on the upper right shoulder and forearm. She sustained redness and swelling in those areas, along with dirt covering her shoulders and chest, the report said.
The son corroborated this account, adding that the brother was trying to get into the home by climbing the ladder to the balcony. This was when Reid hit him with a chair and threw the flower pot, the report said.
The brother then explained that he and Reid had been arguing after returning home from a local bar. Reid locked him out of the house, so he climbed a ladder to the balcony to get inside. He refused to say how he was injured, although his forehead was swollen, the report said.
Meanwhile, the officers continued commanding Reid to come to the door. He then called 911 to say someone was trying to break into his home. Dispatchers confirmed it was law enforcement, to which he stated they had “woke him up out of nowhere.” He did not want to speak with them and stated he did not have to, the report said.
His continued refusal led the officers to break the glass of the front door to get inside the home. They commanded him to get on the floor, and he was handcuffed without further incident. EMS later evaluated lacerations on the bottom of his feet, which he could not refuse due to his level of intoxication. He was subsequently taken to UF Health Leesburg Hospital, located at 600 E Dixie Ave., for medical clearance, the report said.
Reid was arrested on charges of simple battery, simple battery (domestic), resist officer without violence and make false 911 calls. He was booked at the Lake County Jail and released after posting $5,000 bond.