My wife is recovering from surgery on the arm Missouri deputies broke during violent "eviction"

My wife, Carol, had surgery yesterday on the arm that Missouri sheriff deputies broke during an unlawful "eviction" that appeared to be more like an orchestrated assault.

A trauma surgeon said the procedure went well, and he expects a full recovery. Carol's caregivers said she will need regular physical therapy, and her recovery probably will take at least two to three months.

The surgeon described Carol's injury as a broken elbow. He said a number of implants (screws, etc.) were needed to piece the bone back together. It looks like Carol will be in the hospital at least one more night.

My computer access is limited, but I will try to keep readers updated on Carol's condition and the events that led to her injury. Jim Arnott, the sheriff of Greene County, Missouri, was at the scene of the "eviction" and watched from a few feet away as his deputies assaulted Carol--doing nothing to intervene except pointing a finger and indicating Carol had "assaulted a police officer."

Arnott and at least one other officer indicated they brought heavy weaponry because I had called 911 and threatened law enforcement if officers tried to evict us. How big a liar is Arnott? Gargantuan might be one fitting adjective.

Carol was viciously assaulted, and I would bet that not one officer has a scratch on him (or her) from the encounter. Meanwhile, Carol has one broken arm, and it's a miracle the other arm wasn't broken. As for me, I've never called 911 in my life, and I've never called anyone to threaten law enforcement.

At least one Legal Schnauzer reader, who writes investigative reports on Facebook, contacted Arnott and asked several questions about the events involving Carol and me. The reader said Arnott acted as if he had no idea what she was talking about. From the reader:

Just got of phone with the . . . sheriff, and he refused to answer any questions about this. Told me I could go to their site and file a "Missouri sunshine law " request. He wouldn't answer anything and got smart with me until I told him off and hung up (yes, my phone # was blocked). I asked pertinent questions such as did he run for office as a Dem or Rep. and of course it was Republican. Also the judge on your case, Kelly Halford Rose. is a Republican. . . .

I did not know Arnott was on the scene [when I talked to him]. He was trying to act dumb when I gave him the address and asked if he had a warrant or proof there was a threat to his department called in? He stonewalled. This is beyond ridiculous.

In the moments before her injury, Carol had been told she could recover our personal belongings--and I was told I could do the same when she was finished. She was walking toward our front door, mainly concerned about retrieving the litter box for our cat Baxter, when two or more deputies jumped her, slammed her to the ground, and twisted both arms behind her back.

Sheriff Jim Arnott
(From KSPR)

Her right arm is badly bruised, and I asked the trauma surgeon to check it because all of the attention seemed to be on her left arm, the broken one. The surgeon said he did not see any breaks or other damage to the right arm, beyond the bruising.

How can such an assault happen on any eviction, much less one where I had filed an appeal that automatically put a stay on proceedings? That's hard to say, but the attorney for landlord Cowherd Construction clearly had knowledge an appeal had been filed. Associate Gregory Lulich is handling the case for the Lowther Johnson law firm. I notified Lulich the day before the scheduled eviction, both by e-mail and voice message, that an appeal had been filed--and I lawfully served him with pertinent documents.

I served another attorney in the case--David Shuler, who happens to be my brother. He represents our mother, even though she isn't lawfully a party to the case. It appears Cowherd Construction sued my mother (with no grounds for doing so) as an excuse to have David involved in the case. Like Lulich, David Shuler had knowledge that the eviction was stayed and did nothing about it--directly implicating him in Carol's injuries. David Shuler, who serves on the Springfield, Missouri Planning and Zoning Commission, is aware that his sister-in-law was seriously hurt--due in large part to his own actions and inactions--but has he acknowledged it or expressed concern about it? Nope.

As for our question about how a bogus eviction could turn into a scene of violence . . . here is a comment from a reader, who is familiar with the normal eviction process, and these words might shine light on that question:

I'm confused. I work for a rental company. There are laws in Alabama that protect the landlord and the tenant. Did they ignore your appeal or did you miss the date for the hearing? The deputies that handle our evictions are there to enforce the eviction but don't touch anything. Employees of our company remove the tenant's belongings, change locks, etc. I've never heard of this many deputies going to an eviction.

Here is my response to the reader:

Most rational people would be confused, . . . Yes, they completely ignored my appeal, which put an automatic stay on the eviction. I notified the landlord's attorney, both by e-mail and voice message, so he had every reason to know that the eviction could not go forward. I've had others tell me they've never heard of this many deputies going to an eviction and bringing at least one, maybe two, assault weapons--plus multiple handguns. The sheriff of Greene County, Missouri, himself was there. How often does that happen? Not only did they touch stuff, they handcuffed both Carol and me, they assaulted her and broke her arm while she was trying to retrieve our cat's litter box, and a neighbor said he saw the landlord's crew stealing our belongings.