This morning, news of Richard Atchison arrest made headlines; he was held after being accused of hitting his wife with a Christmas tree.
A Florida man was detained on Monday night after he is accused of assaulting his wife after she asked for assistance with supper and after he gave her a Christmas tree.
Richard Atchison, 52, is being charged after police responded to a domestic dispute at an apartment in Fruitland Park, according to FOX35.
When Richard Atchison threw a Christmas tree at his wife, was he arrested?
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Richard Atchison, 52, allegedly “lost his temper” at the couple’s Fruitland Park home on Monday night when his wife asked for help and accidently doused him with water when she dropped a spoon into the sink, according to an arrest complaint FOX 35 Orlando acquired.
Atchison’s 48-year-old wife, whose identity has not been made public, told police that she was preparing dinner when her husband became irritated with her for asking for help.
Atchison told his wife to go because “he had been drinking” and then gathered his bags and went outside to his car.
He reportedly shoved the main door open with both hands as the victim tried to leave and then pushed her in the shoulder area away from the entry, which made her fall, according to the Police complaint.
Deputies said that Atchison struck the wife before grabbing and tossing a Christmas tree at her from the corner of the room. According to reports, he blocked the front entrance to prevent her from leaving.
The victim entered the living room and sat with a visiting friend, still reeling from what had just occurred.
The Christmas tree was soon snatched from the room’s corner and flung into the kitchen by Atchison. The tree had already split in half at that point.
The complaint claims that the defendant picked up the damaged tree and hurt his wife by throwing it at her.
Atchison followed the startled wife and forced the door open as she fled into a bedroom and shut it.
According to reports, the woman informed police that Atchison stopped her when she attempted to leave the house once more. He continued to yell. The police report states that she was there when they arrived.
Arrests and Charges Against Richard Atchison
When the police arrived, they found him insulting her. He was charged with domestic abuse, false imprisonment in the third degree, and minor injunction violations.
He was taken to the Lake County Jail and lodged there before being freed on $8,000 bail on Tuesday.
After hearing him say, “I lost my anger,” I walked away. After drinking, he decided to return home, and when his wife told him to leave, he had already packed his clothes and was heading to his truck.
The report went on to say that Atchison later told police the argument with his wife was “verbal only” and there was “no physical contact that evening.”
No emergency services were called to the property on the night of the incident, and no injuries were reported, according to a police spokesman.
According to a police spokeswoman, Atchison has been in and out of the Lake County Jail 23 times since 1997 for various violations, including 5 times for domestic abuse. This is not Atchison’s first arrest for domestic violence.
Just northeast of Orlando, there is a “quiet and serene neighborhood” called Fruitland Park. It is referred to as “The Friendly City,” a mashup of New Orleans and Old Florida.
