Pickleball Dispute Ends With Wife Behind Bars

MARCH 13--A domestic dispute over pickleball turned violent and resulted in the arrest of a 61-year-old Florida woman for allegedly pummeling her husband in the couple’s residence in The Villages retirement community.

In response to a domestic battery complaint, a police officer arrived at 1:45 AM Monday to the Wildwood home shared by Lan Augustus and her 67-year-old spouse.

Augustus’s husband told the cop that the couple “got into a verbal altercation regarding a pickleball clinic that was being offered in The Villages.” After exchanging words, the man said, Augustus twice struck him in the face with a closed fist. He also alleged that when the argument sparked up again after an hour, Augustus again punched him in the face, shoved him, and struck his foot with a small metal easel.

The victim said that he did not believe he suffered any serious injuries during the confrontation. A patrolman noted observing “slight swelling” on the man’s left cheek, which “was consistent with his account of the events.”

When she was questioned, Augustus said that the couple “got into a verbal altercation...regarding a pickleball membership.” Seen in the above mug shot, Augustus claimed that she only slapped her husband after he chest-bumped her.

Augustus was subsequently arrested for battery on a person over the age of 65, a felony. She was booked into the county jail, from which she was released Monday afternoon upon posting $5000 bond.

Pickleball is a racket sport played on badminton-sized court with a three-foot tall net. Billed as the fastest growing sport in the U.S., pickleball has become a favorite of seniors and retirement community residents seeking more action than a shuffleboard contest can offer. (2 pages)