By Joe Johnson
An Athens woman was arrested this week for literally going to bat for her son.
According to Athens-Clarke County police, 49-year-old Melissa Ann Armstrong of Highland Park Drive struck a neighborhood boy with a baseball bat after he tried to pick a fight with her 14-year-old son.
Police said they responded to the neighborhood at about 9 p.m. Wednesday on a report of the alleged bat assault.
When officers made contact with Armstrong, the woman explained that when a 15-year-old Highland Park Drive boy and a friend tried to “jump” her son while he was checking the mail, her other son ran into the house to get her and she went outside with the bat in order to protect her son, police said.
Armstrong reportedly argued with her son’s 15-year-old alleged tormentor, who called the woman a vulgar name and assumed a fighting stance when Armstrong told him to leave her property, according to police.
Armstrong claimed that the boy began throwing punches but had not yet struck her when she hit him with the bat, police said. She said the boy then threw her to the ground and dragged her into the street and began to hit her when both her sons jumped on top of him and tried pulled the boy off of her, according to police.
The sons said they punched the boy a few times as they pulled him off, according to police.
Based on statements by multiple witnesses, police said they determined that Armstrong was the primary aggressor and arrested her for aggravated assault.
A Magistrate Court judge denied bail for Armstrong, who on Friday continued to be detained at the Clarke County Jail.
Additionally, the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office placed a hold on the woman’s release because of a probation violation warrant they had on file.