Another Confrontation Erupts At Anthony Home

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla.

(WOFL FOX 35, Orlando)

Another Friday night another scuffle between protesters in front the Anthony home. Friday night words were exchanged as George Anthony brought water out to supporters guarding his property.

One female protester began shouting at Anthony. She was soon joined by a male companion. Neighbors then began shouting at the couple. One resident faced off with a protester but the two were separated by members of the Guardian Angels before any actual blows were exchanged.

The fracas came only hours after the Orange County Sheriffs department said they would increase their presence in the neighborhood where the Anthony’s live. No one from the department will say exactly how many more deputies will be in the neighborhood, but they did confirm that they will increase patrols.

This comes a day after protesters and George Anthony got into a scuffle outside the home. Later in the day, the Guardian Angels showed up to help, but even they weren’t immune from the chaos. One protester drove by and flashed what appeared to be a taser gun. One of the Guardian Angels chased the person and deputies were able to catch the man, although no arrest was made.

Neighbors say school buses haven't been able to get around some of the crowds, garbage collection has taken twice as long and some who live here say they aren't getting any sleep with all the commotion.

All the chaos in the neighborhood now has local politicians looking for relief for the residents. Orange County commissioner Linda Stewart wants a curfew in the neighborhood.“I think now we've risen to a different level than what we first started out with,” Stewart said. “This issue in the neighborhood we need to be able to do something.”

In the email to county officials and to the Orange County Sheriff's office, Stewart wrote “The interruption of the tranquility of this neighborhood has gotten out of control and last night was the beginning of a good example.”

“I’ve tried to stay out of this as the Sheriff’s office has been doing a terrific job, there resources are limited and putting a patrol unit there 24/7 takes them off the street for other crimes in the area,” she wrote. Stewart requested an emergency order by the Orange County legal department in conjunction with the sheriff’s office to enact a curfew for Hopespring Drive.“The fair thing is to allow for protestors but to limit the hours of protest so that there can be a more normal neighborhood assembly,” Stewart wrote.

Earlier this week, Orange County Commissioner Mildred Fernandez sent a memo to Mayor Rich Crotty requesting that off-duty officer remain stationed in the Chickasaw Trail neighborhood.

"The volume of traffic generated by demonstrators and media is such that significant impact upon the neighborhood has occurred including incidents where school buses were unable to travel the roadway; normal garbage and trash collection could not occur because of the size of the vehicles that needed to be upon the street in front of the Anthony home, verbal and physical confrontations between demonstrators, deputy sheriff's and people coming to and from the Anthony household have escalated and interfere with normal neighborhood activities," she wrote in the memo...