‘Cage’ match gone wrong

“The offense is harshly prosecuted throughout the state of Florida, with penalties and long-term consequences far exceeding that of a conventional battery.”

(Newsweek) — Family disputes are common in almost any household, especially for a big family living under one roof — be it a spat between brother and sister or a husband and wife arguing about little and big things that constitute their daily lives.

Sometimes, family arguments can blow up so that members may end up physically hurt or, often, in jail.

Take the case of a man in Florida who was involved in a dispute with his cousin in their shared home.

Stephone Johnson was arrested by authorities after his female cousin accused him of hurling a cage towards her during an argument which left the victims bruised.

Johnson was detained by officers from the St. Petersburg Police Department and booked into jail shortly after being charged with misdemeanor for domestic battery, according to records published by the Pinellas County Clerk of Court.

The weird part was that the cage — which was described as a small, black metal coop — was not empty when it was hurled by the suspect, as the victim said her Chihuahua was still inside when it was thrown at her.

“The defendant threw a dog cage and the dog which was inside at the victim,” according to an arrest report, adding that the attack took place inside an address on 18th Avenue South after Johnson and his female cousin “engaged in a verbal confrontation.”

Police said Johnson picked up a black metal cage and threw it after making a “threatening statement to harm the victim and other individuals inside the residence” who were not identified.

The cage was holding a one-year-old chihuahua named Roscoe.

It allegedly hit the victim on her upper left arm, causing a minor bruise. Investigators said the attack was witnessed by other people who were inside the residence at the time, but did not elaborate on what had initially sparked the confrontation between the family members.

It remains unclear if the chihuahua was injured in the incident.

Domestic battery is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail, one year of probation and a $1,000 fine, according to the website of criminal defense lawyer Richard Hornsby.

“Domestic violence battery is any unlawful touching of a person classified by statute as a family or household member,” a separate Florida law firm, Hussein & Webber, explains in an online fact sheet detailing the charge.

“The offense is harshly prosecuted throughout the state of Florida, with penalties and long-term consequences far exceeding that of a conventional battery.”