Getting stopped at a security gate is one of those things that’s mildly annoying, but it’s also part of staying at many resorts and gated communities. Usually, it ends with showing an ID and driving on with your day.
According to Florida deputies, one woman had a much different understanding of how they work, according to NBC 26. Investigators say she questioned what a security guard would do if she simply drove through the gate before doing exactly that.
The encounter didn’t end there, either. Deputies say the security guard caught up with the woman elsewhere on the property to ask for identification again, but the second interaction became much more dangerous.
She ultimately drove into the guard, pinning him between her vehicle and a patrol car before leaving the scene. Her trip home came to an abrupt end a few days later when deputies arrested her at Orlando International Airport as she was preparing to fly back to Wisconsin.
One Simple ID Check Quickly Went Sideways
The incident itself happened on the Fourth of July at the Windsor Island Resort in Davenport, Florida. The suspect was 32-year-old Tayquanna Butler, who was going into the resort when a guard asked for her ID.
Apparently, she responded with, “What are you going to do if I drive through?” Instead of just doing as she was asked, she barreled into the gate instead.
When the guard found her later, she told him he was “doing too much” and escalated things. That’s when she drove into the guard and pinned him between a patrol car and her vehicle.
Her Airbnb Stay Ended With an Arrest
Investigators later determined that Butler had been staying at an Airbnb rental inside the resort from July 2 through July 6. Detectives obtained arrest warrants charging her with aggravated battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Butler’s vacation officially ended on Monday, when she was arrested at Orlando International Airport as she prepared to board a flight back to Wisconsin. She was booked into the Orange County Jail and was awaiting transfer to Polk County as of Tuesday.
While authorities have not shared additional details about what led to the confrontation beyond the security checkpoint, the incident serves as a reminder that security guards are simply enforcing the rules of the properties they work for. Arguing with them is unlikely to get you through the gate any faster, and using your vehicle to settle the disagreement can carry far more serious consequences.
As with all criminal cases, Butler is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.