Attack Over Dog Clean-Up Request in Brooklyn

A dog walker is being sought by authorities after a 75-year-old woman in Brooklyn was violently assaulted. The incident occurred when the elderly woman asked a passerby to clean up after her pet, leading to an altercation that only ceased when a nearby Navy veteran intervened.

Surveillance footage captured Linda Scott being repeatedly punched and kicked outside her home in Crown Heights earlier this week, resulting in her hospitalization.

After Scott was thrown to the ground, the assailant, a woman with pig tails, continued to assault her. A neighbor, 37-year-old Barnett, who had just returned from the gym, noticed a disturbance in front of Scott’s house around 9 a.m. on Monday.

“It seemed like they were arguing about something related to dog waste… it was quite loud,” Barnett recalled. “When a young woman in red appeared, it was clear she was about to confront Miss Linda.”

As the situation escalated, Barnett observed the attacker approach Scott and start hitting her, prompting him to rush to help.

In the midst of the chaos, two dogs were running loose, which is against New York City’s leash law that requires dogs to be kept on a short lead.

Barnett managed to pull the assailant away from Scott and quickly shut the gate. He described the elderly woman as a beloved member of the community with deep roots in the area.

Reportedly, the woman who attacked Scott was with another individual who was also walking a dog. Prior to the confrontation, one of the women had accused Scott of spraying ammonia at her pet, which added fuel to the already tense situation.

Scott’s son, Michael, mentioned that the vacant lot adjacent to their home has been a persistent issue, with neighbors allowing their dogs to soil the property without cleaning it up, causing a foul smell for everyone around.

The mother involved in the incident admitted to using ammonia to discourage dogs from soiling her yard but claimed she never intended to use it directly against a dog.

According to the city’s “pooper scooper law,” failing to dispose of dog waste in public areas can result in a fine of $250.

Scott was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday following the attack. As of Friday, the assailant remains at large, per police reports.