A Villager appears poised to escape prosecution in an alleged attack on an employee last year over a parking spot at a medical office.
Last week in Sumter County Court, a referral was made to have 67-year-old Russell Bowser be considered for a pre-trial intervention program. Typically, the individual admitted to the program would be required to complete anger management or write a letter of apology.
The altercation began at about 12:30 p.m. March 14, 2018 when the woman pulled into a shaded parking spot at the Family Physicians Office on U.S. Hwy. 441 in The Villages, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. Bowser apparently had wanted to park in the same spot.
He immediately became “confrontational.” He banged on the woman’s driver’s side window and demanded that she move her vehicle. She attempted to climb out of the passenger side, but Bowser moved to that side of the vehicle to prevent her from getting out. She had her left leg out, but Bowser, who is six feet two inches tall and weighs 300 pounds, pushed the door closed on her leg. After four to five minutes, she escaped and ran into the doctor’s office. Bowser chased her while yelling profanities and racial slurs, including the “N” word. Witnesses on the scene verified the woman’s account.
He was arrested on a felony charge of false imprisonment and a misdemeanor charge of battery.
Bowser previously has been in the news due to a dispute with a neighbor over landscaping.
