Orlando woman arrested for calling off duty cop's son 'rude'

An Orlando woman is reeling after a minor verbal encounter with the son of an off duty police officer ended with her being slammed to the ground in handcuffs, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

Deidra Reid, a 21-year-old local college student, was visiting a friend’s apartment complex pool on Monday when she decided to go inside the pool’s clubhouse. According to Reid, the door to the clubhouse was locked, but a young boy could be seen inside who refused to open the door. A few minutes later, Reid’s friend arrived with the key and unlocked the door.

Reid proceeded to told the boy that he was rude not to let her and her friends inside. The young boy told his father, off duty police officer Sgt. Brett Parnell, who was working in the complex as a courtesy officer, about the exchange, and that is when the situation began to escalate.

The resulting arrest affidavit claims Parnell, who was not in uniform, walked over and asked Reid whether she lived in the complex. When Reid said she was visiting a friend, Parnell demanded that she and her friends leave the complex. The argument became heated, and at least two more deputies were called to assist. The altercation ended with Reid being forced to the ground and handcuffed, all of which can be seen via video recordings posted to social media.

Reid’s shoulder was dislocated, and she has since been charged with trespassing after warning and resisting an officer with violence. She claims the officer’s use of force was unwarranted. Reid’s attorney, Natalie Jackson elaborated, stating, “This is someone who used his badge to bully Deidra. It’s fine for him to be concerned about his son, but you don’t get to use your badge and the power of the law to bully a citizen.”

The three deputies involved — Parnell, Nye and Kristine Helms — remain on active duty, said Deputy Lourdes Clayton, a sheriff’s spokeswoman.