BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. - A 75-year-old Minnesota woman was arrested and charged with shooting her grandson earlier this month after he allegedly placed a cup of tea on her furniture.
Helen Washington, of Brooklyn Center, is accused of shooting her grandson in the thigh on Oct. 12 in the 5800 block of Camden Avenue North, according to a criminal complaint. The grandson told police that Washington had become upset with him when he repeatedly refused to keep his teacup off of her furniture, prompting her to pour out the tea and grab a .38 Special revolver.
When she returned, she found he had poured a new cup of tea into the aforementioned cup. It was then, prosecutors said, that Washington pulled out her gun and shot him in the leg. The grandson was found lying in the front yard when officers arrived at Washington's home.
The grandson told police his grandmother was the one who had shot him. Washington was arrested, but claimed she did not think she should go to jail, a police complaint said. Five rounds of ammunition for her revolver was found in her house.
Washington was charged with second-degree assault. Last week, a judge ordered her to be evaluated to see if she is competent to stand trial. She is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 18.
