Man makes false battery claim to end an argument

Sunday, Feb. 8

Just kidding

3:08 a.m., 3900 block of Freedom Avenue

Battery: A caller to 911 told a responding law enforcement he recanted his claim of a battery by his ex-girlfriend. He told the officers the woman allegedly involved had left the scene prior to their arrival. 

The complainant said he was willing to provide his personal information but did not want a report documented. He also declined to provide information about his ex-girlfriend, adding he made the claim “to influence the other party to leave,” according to the incident report.

That strategy successful, the man assured officers no battery occurred and the conflict was only verbal in nature. There was no probable cause that a crime had occurred, with the possible exception of fraudulent use of the 911 system to make a false claim, which was not included in the report.

Wednesday, Feb. 11

Another false claim

6:35 p.m., Main Street at South Palm Avenue

Battery: According to a complainant, her friend had texted her stating her boyfriend had choked her at the reported location. Upon arriving at the scene, an officer was unable to find the alleged victim but did make phone contact with the complainant. When asked how the complainant knew of her friend’s location, she said the friend shares her location with her.

While keeping the complainant on the call, the officer located the alleged victim, who was with a male companion. As it turns out, the complainant was likely not a friend at all, as the woman told the officer whomever called to report the alleged battery was “trying to harass her” as the choking incident occurred in November of 2025, and was committed by a different man. 

That was her ex-boyfriend, the woman explained, and he was arrested and charged with battery. The officer apologized for the incursion in the couple’s evening, explaining that whenever a call for service is received for an alleged battery a thorough investigation is required.

Thursday, Feb. 12

Business owner locked out

5:37 p.m., Zero block of Filmore Drive

Civil dispute: A business owner complained to an officer she had been illegally locked out of her closed business at St. Armands Circle by the business association. 

The complainant said she had not been inside her store for two months as she tended to a family health matter, but when she stopped by on this date she discovered changed locks. The store had been closed for longer than a year, she added, since the flooding from the 2024 hurricanes. However, she still has merchandise inside the store.

The landlord provided the complainant with the code to enter the store, when she discovered none of her merchandise was missing. She said there had been an issue with some tenants being behind on dues, including herself, but had never received legal notices about the late dues and that there is a legal process that had not been completed to result in her being locked out of her business.

Another member of the business association confirmed to the officer there had been no vote held that would permit the action. That person said the woman who changed the locks "uses an attorney to try to push business owners to sell their properties by applying liens on them," according to the incident report.

He also added, reads the report, “did not like” the property owner.