A US woman is facing several felony charges after allegedly unleashing honeybees to attack police officers as they enforced an eviction on a home in Massachusetts last week.
The incident happened after Rorie Susan Woods, a 55-year-old professional beekeeper from Hadley, MA arrived at the property towing a stack of manufactured beehives with an SUV while Hampden County Sheriff's deputies were enforcing the eviction notice, the sheriff’s department said.
The department said the residence belonged to a man who had garnered the support of anti-eviction activists, including Ms Woods.
The sheriff’s office said Ms Woods exited the vehicle and tried to open the lids to unleash the bees as a deputy tried to stop her.
Ms Woods smashed the styrofoam lid of one hive tower, and as the bees escaped, the deputy received several stings on his face and head.
She flipped the entire hive tower off the flatbed, causing the bees to become highly agitated and swarm the area, stinging several members of the Sheriff’s Office.
As she donned a beekeeper suit and moved a hive close to the door of the home, deputies swooped in and arrested her.
As she was taken into custody, she yelled for another protester to take care of her dog, which she said was unfed, and left in the SUV with thousands of bees swarming outside of it.
While walking Ms Woods to a cruiser, a deputy told her that he and several of his fellow deputies were allergic to bees. "Oh, you’re allergic? Good," she replied.
"We are always prepared for protests when it comes to evictions, but a majority of the groups who protest understand that we are just doing our statutory duty in accordance with state law," said Sheriff Nick Cocchi.
"But this woman, who travelled here, put lives in danger as several of the staff on the scene are allergic to bees.
"We had one staff member go to the hospital, and luckily, he was alright, or she would be facing manslaughter charges.
"I support people’s right to protest peacefully, but when you cross the line and put my staff and the public in danger, I promise you will be arrested."
Ms Woods faces four felony counts of assault and battery using a dangerous weapon and three counts of assault using a dangerous weapon.
The sheriff’s department said she also faces a disorderly conduct charge.
