A woman protesting another’s eviction decided to fight for her cause last week with a swarm of bees.
Rorie S. Woods, 55, now faces multiple assault charges for unleashing the insects upon Hampden County Sheriff’s Department in Longmeadow, Mass., according to court records cited by PennLive.
When she arrived at the $1.5 million, 10,000 sq. ft. home of Alton King, Jr., on Memery Lane last Wednesday morning in an SUV, authorities were already there, per the records. King was at court attempting to delay the eviction, a report authored by deputy sheriff Daniel H. Soto said.
Woods began shaking bee hives at the officers, according to the report. At one point, Deputy Michael Joslyn attempted to stop her, but she was able to free a hive, causing hundreds of bees to swarm and the deputy was stung on his face and had to retreat.
Bee strings can be painful for anyone, but approximately 2 million people in the U.S. are allergic to these stings, according to Boston Children’s Hospital. In severe cases, allergic reactions can lead to anaphylactic shock, which requires treatment with a shot of epinephrine. Although this treatment is available, about 100 Americans die each year from bee stings.
According to PennLive, three officers allergic to bee stings were among several stung during the incident.
“This woman, who traveled here, put lives in danger as several of the staff on scene are allergic to bees,” said Hampden County Sheriff Nicholas Cocchi. “We had one staff member go the hospital, and, luckily, he was all right or she could 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.”
As she let the bees swarm, Woods wore a beekeeper suit. Last year, she wrote an op-ed about beekeeping that was published by the Daily Hampshire Gazette. In addition to the first hive, she “rolled three more large hives,” off a trailer to an area near the home’s entrance, PennLive reported.
“Officers at this time attempted to stop Woods but were attacked by the bees,” according to Soto’s report reads.
Though she tried to resist arrest, Woods was eventually taken to the ground and handcuffed.
“While Woods was being escorted to the cruiser, (another deputy) advised Woods that he and several officers were allergic to bees,” according to documents cited by PennLive.
“Oh, you’re allergic? Good,” Woods reportedly responded.
She was arraigned in Springfield District Court on multiple felony charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, as well as disorderly conduct. Court records show that she pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released without posting bail. PennLive and other outlets said she could not be reached for comment.
A spokesman for Cocchi said that eviction proceedings at the Memery Lane property have been on-and-off for years. Cocchi said that his department served around 600 to 800 eviction notices annually before the pandemic, when a moratorium on evictions was put in place.
According to MassLive, Woods had been fighting her own eviction for several years as of 2018. The Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending filed an appeal for her and 20 others.
When King was served a served a 72-hour notice to vacate the premises in 2018, he also battled it in court.
“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,” Cocchi said of eviction issues. “And they appreciate how we go above and beyond to help the people being evicted with anything they need from food and temporary shelter, to long-term housing, employment, and mental health and substance use disorder treatment.”
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