According to the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, Rorie Woods donned a beekeeper’s gear to protect herself and was eventually arrested, but not before numerous staff members, including three who are allergic to bees, were injured.
A 55-year-old Massachusetts woman is charged with many counts of assault and battery for allegedly releasing a swarm of bees on sheriff’s deputies who were attempting to serve an eviction notice.
Rorie Woods, a resident of Hadley, is suspected of carrying out the assault when Hampden County Sheriff’s Department deputies were serving an eviction notice at a Longmeadow residence.
To block the eviction, she arrived in an SUV hauling several beehives and began “shaking” them, ripping the cover off one and allowing hundreds of bees to swarm out and first stinging one officer.
Woods donned a beekeeper’s costume to protect herself and was finally arrested, but not before six other employees, including three who are allergic to bee stings, were stung, according to an official report from the department.
When informed of this, Woods responded “Oh, you have an allergy? Good, “by the report
Sheriff Nick Cocchi of Hampden County stated, “We had one staff member go to the hospital, but he was fine.”
He stated that Woods may have faced more severe charges if the stings had been more severe.
She was released without bond after pleading not guilty to the charges related to the 12 October incident at the Springfield District Court.
It is unknown what relationship Woods has with the residence where the eviction notice was served.
