Ron Cummings Arrested 2009.08.06 RE: Battery involving brother-in-law

[raeann]

I don't see anywhere that it is shown that Misty has ever been abused by Ronald and that it was the reason behind this fight. I don't even see where it is stated by anyone other than the Croslins that Misty wanted to leave Ronald or the residence. They could have made it up. We haven't heard the whole story yet.

Too many people are saying it is a fact that Misty is being abused when there is nothing to back it up except their own personal experiences. Since when does one's personal experience dictate what is happening in the private life of another individual when you have NO knowledge of what takes place in their home?!

If it is true that Misty was hit by her brother and/or father during the fight...then they are the ones who are abusing her. Ronald was trying to defend and protect her, imo.

VERBAL abuse is abuse! We all know for a fact that RC was abusive to MC in that first 911 phone call, no question about it, no excuses, nothing can change it--that is indisputable fact.

 

[TxLady2]

Huh? How do we know intent and didn't Ron try to pull Hank Jr. out of the van?

Exactly. How does self-defense enter into it when he climbed into the van from the passenger side and began pummeling Hank, Jr.? I fail to see the logic of that.
You know, this principle works the same as if you rear-end someone with your vehicle. Doesn't matter if they stop too quick, or what... it's still your fault because you hit them. Same thing.... he made the first move when he shoved Hank, Jr. so he was the person to blame for starting the fight. It's kind of hard to prove in court that someone looked like they were going to hit you!

 

[Leila]

A lot has jumped out at me about this incident report. Why would LE fear for his own safety?

After speaking with all three of those subjects, I located Ronald Cummings at *advertiser censored* 4th Avenue. Upon initial contact, I detained Ronald Cummings for my safety and the safety of all others at the scene.It should be noted that Ronald Cummings is usually in possession of some sort of hand gun and it was mentioned that he may have been in possession of it at the current time. (I am assuming that there is a lot more that are in the actual incident reports and maybe a gun was pointed at someone at one point during the altercation? Just speculating here.)
Upon initial assessment of the situation I gathered that Hank Croslin Jr had been battered by Ronald Cummings. (From the pictures of Ron being released today and his booking photo he did not seem to be bruised up much. However, LE did assess the situation and it seemed that Hank Jr. had been battered. I have not seen those photos yet, but to me it means he was hit hard enough for LE to state it in his report and fear for his safety and arrest Ron.)

Sykes said the Croslins were trying to get Misty Cummings into their van to come with them but she refused. (So, this tells me that they did come to pick Misty up and that is what the altercation was about, it was not just that the Croslins had nothing better to do and just showed up at the home.)
Sykes said that she attempted to break up the fight and told Ronald to go into the residence and everyone else to leave. She said that she separated Ronald and Hank Jr and sent Ronald in the house. She said she pushed Hank Jr, Sr and Lisa into their van and told them to leave. She said that Hank Jr continued to yell at Ronald. She said that Ronald came back out and they went to fighting again. She said that Hank Jr was in the van and Ronald reached in again after him to continue the altercation. She said that again she sent Ronald into the residence and slammed the van door shut so that Hank, Hank and Lisa would leave. She said that Hank Jr was going to the handy way to call the sheriffs office. Annette completed a sworn written statement in reference to the incident. (GMA Sykes pushed Hank Jr, Sr and Lisa into their van?)


During the fight, Croslin went into the van and Cummings swung at him in the vehicle, according to Sykes and the Croslin's account to Quintiere. Sgt. Stacey Dowling of the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said Cummings was charged with burglary because he went into the vehicle without permission. (Again, it seems as if the Croslins were leaving and Ron felt he had to jump in the van and assault Croslin Jr. For what reason? He was in the van and from what GMA stated they were going up to the handy way to call 911.)


"snip" http://www.jacksonville.com/news/me...ted_for_burglary_battery_involving_brother_in

I think it's very clear from reading this article what really happened. Applying logic to fill in the gaps, I think the Croslin family was responding to a plea for help. Misty changed her mind. No family shows up late at night at their married daughter's home unless there's a real concern for her well being. RC was angry and took matters into his own hands.

The police arrested RC after determining he was responsible.

The Croslins were remiss in not calling the police and asking that a police officer accompany them to the residence to pick their daughter up. Had they done so, this never would of happened, or would have happened in the presence of a police officer.

 

[Whisperer]

Know what the saddest part to me is? Don Clark, former FBI who is a contributer on HLN said it as well. He should be out looking for his daughter, trying to find out what happened to his daughter instead of getting into fights with his in-laws. This could all have been prevented, if he had kept his cool and not started a ruckus.
I don't know how it all started, but this kind of behavior is inexcusable, IMO.
Misty's family had every right to go there to check on the welfare of their daughter, invited or not, doesn't matter. IF they tried to persuade her to leave with them, then that's another story. Whether they were trying to force her to go, or just talking to her, I don't know. But it's apparant to me that Ron needs some lessons on controlling his temper and I hope this was a wake-up call for them both.

That alarm rang a long time ago. They hit snooze and went back to sleep.

 

[Patty G]

IMO, we are just going to have to wait and see if Hank Jr, gets charged with Assault or Assault and Battery, and if the entire Croslin family is charged with trespassing.

 

[Emeralgem]

I don't see anywhere that it is shown that Misty has ever been abused by Ronald and that it was the reason behind this fight. I don't even see where it is stated by anyone other than the Croslins that Misty wanted to leave Ronald or the residence. They could have made it up. We haven't heard the whole story yet.

Too many people are saying it is a fact that Misty is being abused when there is nothing to back it up except their own personal experiences. Since when does one's personal experience dictate what is happening in the private life of another individual when you have NO knowledge of what takes place in their home?!

If it is true that Misty was hit by her brother and/or father during the fight...then they are the ones who are abusing her. Ronald was trying to defend and protect her, imo.

Personally, I have never been abused, so your statement doesn't apply to me. but I can tell you one thing.. him referrring to her as ..."my dumb B!+C# girlfriend is... ABUSE

 

[kamky]

Everytime I read about poor "Ron" and his band of followers defending him, I picture them with big red hearts thumping outside their chests.

Not even this will change their minds. The excuses keep coming and coming.... well you get the idea!

It seems RC can do just about anything and they will defend him. So far it looks like not one person has changed their mind, in fact they have dug their high heels in deeper.

The sorry experience with the Rumor thread has made me so skeptical of anything said about Ron that I have virtually discarded all of it. It was obvious to me that there was a planned, concerted hate campaign. I don't know who was behind it, but it turned me off. Based upon the scant facts that we actually have, I can't get any confirmation of the rumors/gossip.
If facts come out that substantiate the accusations, then I will have a completely different perspective. But in the meantime, all I can think of is how terrible it would be if he is not as he has been portrayed and such cruel things are being said about an innocent person. Especially a person who has had his daughter ripped from his life.
It's not that I don't care about people who have been abused; of course I do. It's just that I don't know that Ron is absolutely a violent, abusive person and so deserving of the label. E.g., the statement by Lisa Croslin in the police report "She said that up until now she never knew him as being violent."

 

[kamky]

I think it's very clear from reading this article what really happened. Applying logic to fill in the gaps, I think the Croslin family was responding to a plea for help. Misty changed her mind. No family shows up late at night at their married daughter's home unless there's a real concern for her well being. RC was angry and took matters into his own hands.

The police arrested RC after determining he was responsible.

The Croslins were remiss in not calling the police and asking that a police officer accompany them to the residence to pick their daughter up. Had they done so, this never would of happened, or would have happened in the presence of a police officer.

bbm

It will be interesting to see if there are any follow-on charges. With all the conflicting stories, I suspect that the police didn't have a 100% clear-cut picture of exactly what happened. Sounds like Hank Jr got the most physical damage and so, based on that, Ron was arrested, having delivered the blows. Hank Jr & Sr may have fought just as much but didn't inflict injuries. So, we will see. Bunch of he said, she said, he said. Sad state of affairs. Misty sure seems to attract trouble. I agree the Croslins should have called the police to check out the situation.

 

[Whisperer]

Kamky, very nice post #526 and I appreciate what you are saying. Some of us have come from a background where we have seen crime and very bad criminals real close and personal. We have become cynical, well at least I have. RC alone sends up red flags for me. Once I saw him and heard him it wasn't long for me to see what he was about. I have seen many behave like him and feel I pretty much know what he is capable of. OTH, there are many who are still smelling the roses (lucky them) and just see good and even if they are not sure if the person is as good as they would like, they have found a "cause" to defend and pursue till the end, IMO, of course.

 

[Asti]

There are a whole lot of families who have never been eyewitnesses to their child being abused by a boyfriend or mate. Abusers tend to do those things in private, not in front of their in-laws! Lisa never having witnessed any violence does not mean it didn't happen.

 

[Whisperer]

From here on out, the waters will be muddied.

Once RC gets his attorney (think Baez), we will see a different picture develop.

In the court of law, RC is the aggressor. He committed a burglary with intent to inflict harm. If you enter a dwelling (even a car) with intent to hurt a person, it is a felony. The burglary is the legal hurdle.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

That is your rumor. That is not supported by the police report. It says "approached in an "aggressive" manner. He said that he asked Hank Jr to get out of his face and he then came closer. He thought he was going to hit him so he pushed him out of the way." Please, provide us with your eye witness information, since you continue to post as though you were there.

To me, this states that Hank Jr, having received calls from his sister and feeling she was in distress and wanting to leave (all in the Croslin's statements) that they acted in the best interest (better late than never, I guess) and arrived at her home in order to assist her in leaving as she'd stated she wanted to do. I can interpret (just like you are doing) that Ronald intimidated Misty into changing her mind. I won't, and don't need to. I can see that when the Croslin's arrived, they were met with a man screaming out of his home. I can see that Hank Jr would reply in kind and not back down, and I can also view that as it would be in any other situation.......a bully expecting to be obeyed and someone standing up to him. When the initial intimidation of yelling and beligerance didn't get the Croslin's gone, pushing (making physical contact) ensued. It's called escalation of aggression and that falls solely upon the man arrested, Ronald LeMyles Cummings.

It is NOT rumor and it IS in the police report:

She said that when he arrived at the residence, he began a verbal altercation with Ronald. She then said that Hank Jr came at Ronald and a physical altercation began.

~Snip~

He said that Hank Jr and Sr got out of the van and approached in an "aggressive" manner. He said that he asked Hank Jr to get out of his face and he then came closer. He thought he was going to hit him so he pushed him out of the way. He said that Hank Jr then hit him after Ronald pushed him and the physical altercation began.

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/me...ted_for_burglary_battery_involving_brother_in BBM

 

[Whisperer]

You can talk and try to explain and defend RC all you like, it is your dime.

No way around the burglary with intent....sorry.

 

[RoseRed]

The sorry experience with the Rumor thread has made me so skeptical of anything said about Ron that I have virtually discarded all of it. It was obvious to me that there was a planned, concerted hate campaign. I don't know who was behind it, but it turned me off. Based upon the scant facts that we actually have, I can't get any confirmation of the rumors/gossip.
If facts come out that substantiate the accusations, then I will have a completely different perspective. But in the meantime, all I can think of is how terrible it would be if he is not as he has been portrayed and such cruel things are being said about an innocent person. Especially a person who has had his daughter ripped from his life.
It's not that I don't care about people who have been abused; of course I do. It's just that I don't know that Ron is absolutely a violent, abusive person and so deserving of the label. E.g., the statement by Lisa Croslin in the police report "She said that up until now she never knew him as being violent."

:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:

 

[Indiana at Heart]

After 3 fights and after how many times were they asked, demanded, or otherwise told to leave?! They were not going willingly if GGS felt she needed to guide them to their vehicle. They had refused repeated attempts to make them go away, but they were intent on escalating the situation.

RC,MC, and AS had a chance to call 911 they didn't. If she had to guide them to the cars then RC or MC could of called. When RC was put in house by AS then he could of called 911 so to me and JMO RC escalating by not calling or AS or even MC JMO

 

[LaLaw2000]

Sykes says Ronald went into her home, came out, and punched Croslin Jr. to keep him from taking Misty away. She says the Croslins left and minutes later Putnam County Sheriff’s deputies showed up and arrested Ronald.

It doesn't seem that they took very long at all.

No, it doesn't seem that it was very long at all. From having been a Booking/Classification Lt., I can tell you that a person may sit handcuffed on a bench outside the booking office for a couple or three hours after having been arrested and arriving at the jail. Not saying this is what happened, but very often you will see an arrest time and the actual booking may be an hour or even several hours later. In Louisiana, you can leave someone handcuffed to the bench for up to 3 hours.

O/T: I have never been able to wear long sleeves in the summer here in Louisiana, but I am old and have hot flashes, lol.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

RC,MC, and AS had a chance to call 911 they didn't. If she had to guide them to the cars then RC or MC could of called. When RC was put in house by AS then he could of called 911 so to me and JMO RC escalating by not calling or AS or even MC JMO

They should not have been on the property in the first place. They were not only uninvited, they were told NOT to come. If they had a problem with Misty, THEY should have called 911.

 

[RR0004]

It is NOT rumor and it IS in the police report:

She said that when he arrived at the residence, he began a verbal altercation with Ronald. She then said that Hank Jr came at Ronald and a physical altercation began.

~Snip~

He said that Hank Jr and Sr got out of the van and approached in an "aggressive" manner. He said that he asked Hank Jr to get out of his face and he then came closer. He thought he was going to hit him so he pushed him out of the way. He said that Hank Jr then hit him after Ronald pushed him and the physical altercation began.

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/me...ted_for_burglary_battery_involving_brother_in BBM

Unfortunately, in these kind of situations the person who "touches" first is considered the aggressor. I'm not saying it's right, but that's the way it goes. The verbal barrage that may or may not have been started by Hank Jr. is not an issue once the police get involved...it's who struck first. JMO

 

[Whisperer]

shoulda, coulda, woulda.....it is what it is

 

[MADJGNLAW]

I think it's very clear from reading this article what really happened. Applying logic to fill in the gaps, I think the Croslin family was responding to a plea for help. Misty changed her mind. No family shows up late at night at their married daughter's home unless there's a real concern for her well being. RC was angry and took matters into his own hands.

The police arrested RC after determining he was responsible.

The Croslins were remiss in not calling the police and asking that a police officer accompany them to the residence to pick their daughter up. Had they done so, this never would of happened, or would have happened in the presence of a police officer.

I agree that it is very clear and some will not agree I respect everyones opinion. IMO the Croslin Family did what they felt they had to do in fear for their daughter/sister. I don't know how the Florida Laws are, but where I am from and having been around a similar situation, LE will not come out and escort a family member to check on another family member. The only way LE will come out is if there is an altercation, they do not provided escort service for a wellness check.
Again, I am sure there is a lot more to this incident but still feel that it could of been handled in a different way. Ron could of just told the Croslins to leave and if they did not he should of called LE right then and there. Not try to instigate, this family as well as all involved already have some type of instinct of what may of happen to Haleigh and maybe that is why they fear for Misty. JMO