Report: Woman tears up clothes; man responds with cane

FORT WALTON BEACH – A homeless man faces charges after he battered his girlfriend, lawmen say.

The incident occurred at Longhorn Plaza on Mary Esther Cut-Off, according at a Fort Walton Beach Police arrest report. The couple were separated by an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s deputy, who then referred them to the police officer.

The woman, who did not appear to be upset, said she and her boyfriend of 10 years had moved to the area recently and were walking to his relatives’ residence on Bay Street when they got into an argument. She said she broke her sandal strap and begin rmoving ond throwing her clothes and purse to the ground. At that point her boyfriend got madder and hit her on the left hand with his cane, she said. The officer noted her finger was swollen where she said he hit her.

The officer noticed other, older bruises and asked her about them. She replied, “I was asking for those because I pushed it too far.” She explained when they fight, she tears or breaks items of sentimental value to her boyfriend to upset him. When the officer asked if she thought it normal or proper to receive those kinds of injuries in a relationship, she said she thought it was because of her actions.

The man said they were living on the streets. They were walking to his uncle’s house when the woman “began acting crazy and destroying the clothing he had bought her,” the man said. He admitted to “tapping” her with his cane.

He was charged with battery.