Thursday, April 10, 2014

Toilet stop fight between man and transgender woman culminated with golf club assault

A disagreement over whether to pull into a rest area for a toilet stop ended with a transgender woman being arrested for hitting a man in the head with a golf club. Florida Highway Patrol troopers were dispatched on March 31 to the Port St. Lucie/Fort Pierce service plaza on Florida's Turnpike for a report of a fight. Colby Yandow, 23, told troopers he considers himself a female despite what his driver's licence says.



Yandow said he's "a transgender individual who has completed his sexual reassignment surgery, but has not updated his driver's licence information to reflect such," an affidavit states. Yandow, who smelled of alcohol, told troopers that he and Kenneth Jackson, 35, live together in Orlando. He said he was driving north with Jackson, who also smelled of booze, when they quarrelled about stopping at the service plaza for a bathroom break.

Yandow said Jackson punched him in the face and grabbed his wrist before snatching the wheel and forcing the vehicle into the service plaza. Yandow said he got out and grabbed a golf club from the trunk. He said he hit Jackson in the head to protect himself. Jackson said he told Yandow he needed to use the bathroom, but Yandow wouldn't stop. Jackson said Yandow punched him in the face and pulled in the plaza. Jackson said he forced the vehicle into park so he could get out and use the toilet.



He said Yandow hit him in the head with the golf club, and then they scuffled. "Mr. Jackson denied punching Mr. Yandow while he was driving, but admitted to punching him after being struck in the head with the golf club," an affidavit states. Records did not state whether Jackson got to use the bathroom. Yandow, whose licence is suspended and expired, was arrested on charges including aggravated battery, while Jackson was arrested on a battery charge.

2 comments:

Peppermint said...

Your headline says "transgender woman" but you never mention a woman in your piece. Just because the police made that mistake doesn't mean you have to. Its very confusing reading your "article". It shows a lack of understanding and respect. The way you want your peace screams "no matter what you do you always be a man "

Which may lead your readers to believe that they also have the right to deny someone's womanhood in the same way.
The school is not very newsworthy anyway so it seems as though you wrote this piece just to highlight and misGender a transgender person.
If your intentions were to come off as a minute insensitive, un educated, unempathetic person, You do.

Megan Huddleston said...

Peppermint, I noticed the same odd use of personal pronouns, but the owner of this blog didn't write this particular news story. I don't think he would ever write anything judgmental or rude, anyhow, that would be contrary to the nature of the site...But you can easily track down the original author if you click the link, and let him know how the article made you feel!