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Mayor subdues suspects

By Mark Harrison
The Times-Journal

Published December 7, 2009

A Rainsville couple was charged Friday after allegedly scuffling with police officers that included the mayor at Sylvania Town Hall.

Glenn and Juanita Coots are both charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Juanita Coots is also charged with reckless endangerment.

DeKalb County Sheriff’s Investigator Mitch Dendy said the events leading to the Coots’ arrests began shortly before 3 p.m. when an unidentified woman came into Sylvania Town Hall claiming someone tried to run her vehicle off the road and asked to speak to a police officer.

Dendy, who is also Sylvania’s mayor, happened to be at town hall in his capacity as a sheriff’s investigator. He said he was there to meet with Drug Task Force agents for a scheduled detail.

Dendy said he asked the woman to describe the vehicle, at which time it happened to pass by – he said the woman pointed and said, “there it goes.” Dendy said he went into the parking lot and motioned for the driver – later identified as Juanita Coots – to pull into the town hall lot, but she kept driving.

At that point, Dendy said he got into his sheriff’s vehicle, pulled Coots’ over, explained the situation and asked her to return to town hall, which she did.

Dendy said Coots was asked to wait in the lobby while Sylvania Police Chief Brad Gregg began interviewing the complainant. He said Coots was told she would be interviewed next.

Meanwhile, Dendy said Glenn Coots arrived at town hall and he and Juanita got into an argument that became “boisterous” and were asked to step outside, but they allegedly refused to do so. Dendy said, at that point, he and Glenn Coots allegedly got involved in an altercation. During the scuffle, Dendy said the town Christmas tree was knocked over and the ornaments broken. The scuffle came to an end after Gregg used a Taser to subdue Glenn Coots.

After that, Dendy said Juanita Coots spotted the complainant emerging from Gregg’s office and she allegedly “ran down the hallway and began assaulting her.” Dendy said he and Gregg managed to restrain Coots.

He said no one was injured during either of the scuffles. He said the Coots were taken to the DeKalb County Jail, where they were later released on bond.

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