A man was arrested after allegedly breaking into his ex-partner’s home with a knife and duct tape. During the encounter, he described the situation as a “misunderstanding” related to a BDSM scenario, which the victim disagrees with, according to court documents.
Police responded to a call at 6 p.m. on July 10 from a woman claiming her ex-partner, Briana Westbrook, had mistakenly entered her home thinking it was her son. Officers arrived to find Westbrook holding a knife and tape. An altercation ensued, during which Westbrook allegedly pushed the victim onto a couch and told her not to move, prompting her to scream.
Westbrook is known as a transgender rights advocate and was once the vice chair of the Arizona Democratic Party.
When the victim’s sister entered the room, Westbrook is said to have lunged at both women with a knife. The victim pleaded for her to stop, citing the impending return of her son, which led Westbrook to flee the residence.
At Westbrook’s home, police reported that the suspect characterized the events as a misunderstanding, insisting that both parties had consented to engage in a BDSM scenario. Westbrook admitted to arriving at the victim’s home with a knife and tape but claimed that they had decided to perform the scene via “subliminal messages” on social media.
The court documents revealed Westbrook also asserted they had agreed to reenact scenarios intended to induce fear as a way to address past trauma stemming from childhood abuse.
Westbrook, in a probable cause report, mentioned receiving a covert message through Instagram indicating that the victim was prepared for the scene. He acknowledged going to her home armed and that the scene was interrupted when the victim’s sister left the room.
In contrast, the victim told authorities that she had never consented to any reenactment of a BDSM scene.
Westbrook has been charged with third-degree robbery and aggravated assault with an imitation deadly weapon, along with misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct.
According to police records, there were indications of Westbrook’s history with domestic violence and noted an escalation in the severity of incidents. A preliminary hearing for Westbrook is set for Monday. Attempts have been made to contact Westbrook for a statement.
