Bystanders at the Lighthouse Bar & Grill restaurant intervened after an intoxicated women fell to the boardwalk and her child ran into the busy street at Lake Sumter Landing.
One of the bystanders called 911 at about 9 p.m. Wednesday after 44-year-old Kara Lynne Johnson of Raleigh, N.C. was behaving in a “highly intoxicated” manner, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. The child with her was running “unsupervised” into the street. Johnson grabbed and snatched at one of the bystanders and fell to the boardwalk. She remained there “passed out,” according to the arrest report. When she woke up, she “staggered” to her black 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan with Ohio license plates and attempted to drive away. The bystanders told her she was in no condition to drive and acted as human shields in the parking lot, preventing her from leaving.
When the first deputy arrived on the scene, he found Johnson “slumped” behind the wheel and the child seated in a child’s seat in the vehicle. He knocked on the window several times without a response. When Johnson woke up, she was belligerent and began cursing at him. She stood up on the step rail of her vehicle to tower over the deputy, who continued to try to get her to calm down. She slapped the deputy on his chest and kicked him.
The deputy handcuffed Johnson and put her in the back of his patrol vehicle. He had to put a hobble restraint device on her ankles to prevent her from kicking. When she arrived at the Sumter County Detention Center, Johnson continued to fight with detention deputies.
She refused to provide a breath sample.
She was arrested on charges of battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and driving under the influence. She was released after posting $13,000 bond.
