Police: Woman pulls pink pocketknife on man who threw coins at her in Liberty Plaza
A 40-year-old homeless woman accosted a 22-year-old Dexter man with a pink pocketknife after he threw coins at her feet in Ann Arbor’s Liberty Plaza Thursday morning, Ann Arbor police said.
Ann Arbor police Lt. Renee Bush said the woman and the man were both hanging out in the square, 255 E. Liberty St., when the Dexter man told her to “shut up” several times. Bush said the man then pulled out coins and threw them on the ground in front of the woman one by one.
When one of the coins hit the woman in the lower leg, she stood up and “said ‘Go ahead and throw something at me again,’” Bush said.
The woman started walking toward the man and pulled out a pink Swiss Army-type pocketknife. Bush said a struggle over the weapon ensued.
The man suffered small lacerations on his forehead and on his hand near his thumb, while the woman had a small laceration on her arm between her elbow and shoulder.
Police were called to the area at 8:19 a.m. Thursday, but the man had already left the area. The woman was placed under arrest, Bush said.
“She claimed she pulled the knife to defend herself,” Bush said.
The department’s detective bureau is continuing to investigate the incident.
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
whatsupwithMI
Mon, Aug 6, 2012 : 1:35 a.m.
The last time I went to AA for lunch was 3 or 4 years back (lobster bisque day!) some of the local mental patients were hanging out in Liberty Park, their main occupation was to keep an eye on their friend who kept trying to pick up a big rock and bash someone. Last time I've eaten downtown for lunch. You don't get that crazy across the tracks to the east, even.
Modern_Atheist
Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 5:23 a.m.
people need to learn to just ignore the homeless who "bother" them and just keep walking. I dare these people who say they're "constantly hassled" to spend a day in New York, the homeless in Ann Arbor are cute puppies compared to some of the people out there.
Madeleine Borthwick
Mon, Aug 6, 2012 : 3:52 p.m.
M. A., I agree. these people are not nearly as dangerous as they seem at first(unless they're wielding pink pocket knives, yuk-yuk!). walk away, don't give your power away!
anti-thug
Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 6:50 p.m.
New york is now safer then Ann Arbor in some ways.
anti-thug
Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 6:49 p.m.
iTs a Ann Arbor fairty tale that the homeless are some how better of then in other places, in fact the homeless in Ann Arbor are angrer for being pushed around then in most places...at-lest in new yourk the homeless can hang out.
nickcarraweigh
Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 12:15 a.m.
Pink Swiss-Army? That's not a knife. That's a fashion statement, or one of the telltale signs of Ibogaine addiction. First described by Dr. H.S. Thompson in 1972, Ibogaine is a highly addictive derivative of the human pineal gland and its burgeoning international trade has cut a swathe of death and destruction across the globe. Folks, it is even worse than synthetic marijuana. Now, it sounds like Ibogaine has come to roost in Liberty Plaza, probably imported by some well-meaning post-grad chemistry student. I for one will use Washington for my east-west downtown walks from now on, since you never really know what will set the Ibogaine users off onto mindless chaos and destruction, like with bootleg toy poodles.
Madeleine Borthwick
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 6:19 p.m.
is there a description of this woman?
Madeleine Borthwick
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 6:18 p.m.
If it's who I think it is, may her incarceration be extremely long....
Indymama
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 3:05 p.m.
She was probably mad because it was only coins he threw and not Dollars!!
Doug
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 2:35 p.m.
I never give to panhandlers, but I did once. As I walked by him he said, "coins, bills" and as I passed him he said, "I'll even take checks or credit cards". I stopped, looked at him and started laughing. He smiled and I walked back and gave him a couple of bucks. He probably made more money than I do.
Lovaduck
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 4:45 p.m.
If you did "once" than the word "never" (which means No Times ever) is not the word you want. Just sayin'
Pamela Bethune
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 12:47 p.m.
How did a homeless guy from dexter get to aa in the first place? I doubt he walked.
Doug
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 3:27 p.m.
He was probably so high he flew!
Elaine F. Owsley
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 11:36 a.m.
If he wasn't there, how do they know where he's from?
CPLtownie
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 2:14 a.m.
I walked past Thurs about 5-10 minutes and saw the goings on. When will the city get a clue and clean it up? And I'm not talking about placing a few whirleygigs and a sculpture there. I walk past here twice a day, sometimes 4x on the way to and from work and it's like walking past an open sewer. Last Dec while walking to work at 8:45pm it was so disturbing that the next month I took my cpl class. The verbal assaults and the 'in your face' hassling. There is NO reason to allow this to go on unchecked in the CENTER of town.. Wait until it gets cold and they move down the new hole the city has provided them with.
motorcycleminer
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 10:43 a.m.
Delonis annex ...prince johns $ 50,000,000 warming center..build it and they will squat....
martini man
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 2:35 a.m.
Unfortunately , as long as the people of Ann Arbor keep electing and reelecting these liberal/progressive/socialists to ruin ..I mean run the city, this type of thing will continue to prevail. Makes great political fodder for the extreme left to exploit.
Barzoom
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 10:54 p.m.
I think the new parking garage is the perfect location for a train station. They already have parking. All that needs to be done is relocate the railroad. An easy task for our high powered mayor and city council.
thedudeabides
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 7:51 p.m.
This is how people from Dex town make it rain on Financially challenged victims of an uncaring society up in here.
Wolf's Bane
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 5:44 p.m.
Enough already, close this park off to the homeless. It is disgusting having to walk by seeing these diseased and drunk people everywhere; they need help, not a park in the middle of our down to sully.
pvitaly
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 5:06 p.m.
What is the significance of the knife being pink?
elayem0110
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 3:35 a.m.
There is no significance. Seems like a low blow to me, as if the color of the knife is an indicator of the level of danger, the implication here being that there really is no danger because she is a woman wielding a pink knife. I don't care what color your knife is. If you pull one on me, I consider you a threat.
martini man
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 5:05 p.m.
Whoa !!! Be careful using such terms as BUMS, Moochers, Hobos, Scammers, etc , unless you want to get your post zapped by the PC Thought Police, who constantly monitor AA.com. Probably better to refer to them as..... Financially Challenged Victims of an uncaring society.
Doug
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 2:23 p.m.
I love your reply! Very creative!
Ricardo Queso
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 4:04 p.m.
Why does Ann Arbor tolerate these bums?
Stan Hyne
Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 5:25 a.m.
The word is encourage.
Middle America
Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 3:48 a.m.
I am pretty sure Unusual Suspect has never been to Ann Arbor.
Lola
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 4:32 p.m.
I know, right? They don't put up with this kind of behavior in Ypsi!
Unusual Suspect
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 4:20 p.m.
Because we're "enlightened." Here, have a flower to put in your hair.
Thaddeus
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 3:49 p.m.
I know that context is everything here, but which one of us wouldn't want to have money thrown at us....? And when others run-out of money to throw, I think most of us would settle for gold bullion, T-bills, and stocks.... Drugs involved in the case here....?
RunsWithScissors
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 3:42 p.m.
If the man had already left the area by the time police arrived, then how do we know that he's 22 years old & from Dexter? Does the owner of the pink pocketknife know him?
Frank Lee
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 3:16 p.m.
Ann Arbor Police, Clean up Liberty Plaza! Many people want to use it for its intended purpose.
tomnspats
Fri, Aug 10, 2012 : 3:30 p.m.
The police would love to clean up this park.The city will not let them and our courts seem to love all the panhandlers and deadbeats who hang out there.
treetowncartel
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 3:16 p.m.
@ Brad, you stole my line
smokeblwr
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 3:14 p.m.
So he came all the way from Dexter to hassle our homeless?
jns131
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 8:54 p.m.
So, maybe Dexter needs something to do? If Jackson county is dropping off their problems in Ann Arbor, maybe we should do the same for Dexter?
halflight
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 3:26 p.m.
So far as I know, "he dissed me!" isn't a defense to assault with a deadly weapon, and neither is the victim's residency.
jcj
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 2:59 p.m.
Should be an extra penalty for using a pink pocket knife! That's as much insulting as dangerous.
Middle America
Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 11:16 a.m.
Pink is fer girls haw haw!!! Derr.
jns131
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 8:52 p.m.
Unless she was supporting the breast cancer foundation. Ours has a pink mace container and that does support them.
Ricebrnr
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 2:08 p.m.
"she stood up and "said 'Go ahead and throw something at me again,'" Bush said." "The woman started walking toward the man and pulled out a pink Swiss Army-type pocketknife" "She claimed she pulled the knife to defend herself," Ummm...no
jns131
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 8:52 p.m.
She dared him. I agree, ummmmm....Nope. Not going to happen.
GoNavy
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 1:57 p.m.
Confirmed: I will no longer be giving change to individuals at Liberty Plaza.
Middle America
Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 11:14 a.m.
A moderate sized city has minor crime issues?! Ann Arbor is so scary if you have never stepped outside of the Milan city limits. Grow up.
Middle America
Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 3:46 a.m.
Ann Arbor: crime capital.
jns131
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 8:51 p.m.
I won't be seen anywhere near there. Wow. Sounds like Ann Arbor is taking brawls out of doors.
leezee
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 1:46 p.m.
I was going to name my new band Pink Pocketknife, but now I'm strongly considering Garage Mahal.
Ryan Blackburn
Fri, Dec 28, 2012 : 4:15 p.m.
thats a good pink knife!...
Jay Thomas
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 6:12 p.m.
That's awesome.
fjord
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 2:25 p.m.
FYI, there's already a band called Garaj Mahal.
Brad
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 1:31 p.m.
Yeah, let's build another such hangout on top of the Garage Mahal.
Middle America
Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 3:45 a.m.
Let's hear more super clever and hilarious nicknames for the new parking structure! They are so funny I can't stand it! Garage Mahal!? How did you come up with that!? Your name should be "Clever Brad".
motorcycleminer
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 10:39 a.m.
You mean Pollay park.....