"Don't sweat the small stuff," they say. There is no use getting all worked up about something minor and insignificant. Instead of getting angry or upset, just "let it go," as millions of little girls across the nation know thanks to Elsa and Disney's Frozen.
Despite the ubiquitousness of these lessons, they seem to have fallen on deaf ears when it comes to one Tulsa woman.
Last week, Tulsa police arrested LaTroya Marie Grayson, 31, on a complaint of assault and battery with a deadly weapon after she stabbed her roommate.
What could have provoked such anger, such wrath, such animosity to trigger the woman to take a knife and plunge it into her roommate?
Did the woman's roommate steal her man? After all, there is no fury like a woman scorned.
No, nothing like that.
Did she insult her mama? Threaten her kids? Slander her reputation? Steal her life savings?
Nope.
The roommate allegedly triggered Grayson's rage by using her DVD player.
Grayson denies that she stabbed her roommate in an act of aggression, though. She says she only picked up the knife to defend herself from assault from the roommate, whom she says also had a knife.
According to police, though, Grayson left "a position of safety" to attack her roommate, and thus became the aggressor in what began as mutual combat . . . over the use of a DVD player.
Assault and battery with a deadly weapon is among the most serious assault charges a person can face in Oklahoma. It is punishable by life in prison.
Assault and battery with a dangerous weapon is a lesser offense, but the penalties are still severe--up to 10 years in prison.
Violence over the use of a DVD player? It's not worth it.
It is important to note that in any assault or domestic violence case, police are often left to use their best judgment in determining who was the aggressor and who was the victim. Sometimes, this determination is made by looking at visible injuries. When this happens, often the person with the most visible injuries is considered the victim and the person with the least injuries is considered the assailant. Other times, the determination is made based upon who called police and who told his or her side of the story first.
Obviously, in neither case does the "evidence" involved necessarily support the charge. A person with more injuries may have just picked a fight with the wrong guy. The person who called police may simply be trying to turn the tables.
Regardless of the situation that led to an assault arrest or a domestic violence arrest, it is important to call an attorney as soon as possible to find the best defense options available.
