Police say a woman in Wynne, Arkansas held four Black teens at gunpoint while they were going door to door raising money for their high school football team, according to CBS News.
According to the police report, officers responded around 10 a.m. on Wednesday, August 7, after a call about “suspicious persons.” When they arrived, the teens explained they were selling discount cards to fund their school’s athletic program. Two of the four were wearing their football jerseys, the report states. One of the responding officers reportedly recognized one of the teens from the high school.
The woman, identified as Jerri, 46, told police she heard her dog barking and saw the boys walking through the neighborhood. She said a previous home invasion made her worry they might be about to rob her. According to the police report, she gestured toward the boys’ skin and then her own and said “it ain’t about that.” She also reportedly told officers the boys should act like they were really selling cards. Later, she reportedly said she felt remorse and asked to contact the teens to buy them lunch and bring some closure.
The teens told CBS News they were scared to even talk to her after she called them liars and said she would shoot if they moved from the ground. They also said she lectured them after police arrived and asked them to look her in the eyes and shake her hand.
A warrant was issued and Jerri turned herself in Monday evening. Police told CBS News she was arrested and charged with four counts of aggravated assault, false imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a minor. She was released that night on a $10,000 bond. The charges are allegations, and she had not been convicted of anything at the time of these reports.
Reports also said no booking photo was taken at first because she cited a medical emergency. A photo was taken after her first court appearance Thursday morning, following complaints from community members that she was receiving special treatment. Cross County Sheriff’s Department Captain Jeff Nichols said she was given the same booking process as anyone else and received no preferential treatment. Other community members said they did not notice anything suspicious that morning.
