Richard Daniel Atchison, 52, a Florida resident, was arrested after hitting his wife with a Christmas tree. after he was furious when she asked him to help him cook dinner.
An unfortunate incident happened when Atchison “lost his temper” after the couple had an argument at their Fruitland Park home.
He was held at the Lake County Jail on an $8,000 bail from where he was released on bail, said Fred Jones, public affairs officer for the Lakeland County Sheriff’s Office.
Atchison’s wife, aged 48, whose name has not been released. she told police she was cooking dinner when her husband got mad at her for asking for help.
She said the couple started arguing, after which she put the spoon in the sink and accidentally splashed water on it, which angered him even more, according to the affidavit.
She said her husband packed some things and went to his car before returning and telling her to leave.
The victim told police that when she tried to exit through the front door, Atchison pushed her in the area of her shoulders away from the door with both hands, causing her to trip, according to the police report.
Soon after, Atchison picked up the Christmas tree from the corner of the room and threw it towards the kitchen. The tree cracked in half at that moment.
The suspect then picked up a broken tree and threw it at his wife, stabbing her, according to the sworn statement.
The frightened wife then ran to the bedroom and closed the door, but Atchison followed her and kicked the door in as she tried to enter.
The woman also told police that she tried to run out of the house again, but Atchison would not let her leave. According to the police report, he was still yelling at her when the police arrived.
Atchison told police that he and his wife were arguing and she hit the hot food with the dish, which landed on the right side of her face.He also mentioned that the fight with his wife was “only verbal and that there was no physical contact that night.”