Massachusetts woman accused of assaulting officers with swarm of angry bees By Reuters

By Brendan O’Brien

(Reuters) – A Massachusetts lady stands accused of utilizing a swarm of bees as a harmful weapon, based on a county sheriff, after she allegedly unleashed a hive of offended bugs on deputies making an attempt to serve an eviction discover final week.

The incident unfolded when Rorie Woods, a 55-year-old skilled beekeeper, drove as much as the house in Longmeadow whereas deputies had been within the strategy of imposing the eviction discover, the sheriff’s division stated in a press release on Wednesday.

The residence, outdoors Springfield within the south-central a part of the state, belonged to a person who had been litigating towards his elimination for years, garnering help of anti-eviction activists, together with Woods, a division spokesperson stated in an e mail on Thursday.

When she arrived at about 9:15 a.m. native time, towing a stack of manufactured beehives with a SUV, Woods exited the car and tried to open the lids to unleash the bees, the division stated.

“A sheriff’s deputy tried to cease her, however because the agitated bees began getting out and circling the realm, he pulled again,” the workplace stated.

She then smashed the lid of 1 hive and flipped it off the flatbed, agitating the bees, the sheriff stated on Wednesday. They swarmed the realm, stinging a number of officers and bystanders who had been close by. One deputy was taken to the hospital the place he was handled.

In the meantime Woods placed on an expert beekeeper go well with to guard herself, and she or he carried a tower of bees to the entrance door of the house, making an attempt to cease the eviction. At that time, deputies arrested her.

“I help individuals’s proper to protest peacefully however once you cross the road and put my workers and the general public at risk, I promise you’ll be arrested,” Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi stated.

Makes an attempt to succeed in a lawyer for Woods had been unsuccessful.

Woods, who lives in Hadley, Massachusetts, about 25 miles (40 km) north of Longmeadow, faces 4 felony counts of assault and battery via a harmful weapon and three counts of assault via a harmful weapon. She additionally faces a misdemeanor disorderly conduct cost.

Native media reported that Woods pleaded not responsible to the costs.

Originally published at Gold Coast News HQ