JULY 24–A Florida Man was busted for battering his wife over a TV show the woman was watching “that mentioned a homosexual comment that the defendant did not like,” police report.
“I’m not having that in my house,” James Barr, 62, reportedly declared upon hearing the “homosexual comment,” according to an arrest report which does not identify the show his 62-year-old wife Linda was watching at the time of the incident earlier this month.
Cops allege that Barr–who showed signs of intoxication–grabbed his wife’s arms and “forcefully” pushed her down into a recliner, where he “held her down in the chair not letting her get up.”
The woman, police reported, attempted to kick Barr to free herself, but he “would not let go and let her get up.”
While interviewing the woman, an officer noted that the woman “had a minor injury of broken skin on her left inner forearm” where she said she had been grabbed and pinned to the recliner.
During police questioning, Barr reportedly copped to grabbing his wife in their residence in The Villages retirement community. Barr was arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge and booked into the Sumter County jail. He was freed from custody on July 7 after posting $500 bond.
A registered Republican in the “Don’t say gay” free state of Florida, Barr has been married to the victim for nearly 40 years. The couple has three children and purchased their home in The Villages in April 2021 for $1.239 million.
Barr’s spouse has subsequently asked that the criminal charge against her husband be dropped and says she will not participate in his prosecution. Linda Barr contends that the pair had been drinking and “the effect of alcohol impaired” James Barr’s judgement and “he was unaware of his action at the time.”
Barr, who does not have a criminal record, has pleaded not guilty and is next due in court on August 29