A 66-year-old North Carolina woman who stays in Torrington, Conn. for a few weeks each year went to a police station on Christmas Eve and pointed a BB gun she purchased earlier that day at civilians and police officers alike while asking to be shot.
Elaine Rothenberg was arrested Thursday outside of a police station in Torrington after she pointed a gun at two civilians and asked them if they were police. The civilians got away unharmed, but Rothenberg wouldn’t stop looking for cops.
According to WTNH, Rothenberg got into a shooting stance, declared that she hated police and yelled “boom boom boom.” Next, she challenged police to shoot her.
“What are you doing? Shoot me!” she yelled. “What are you, scared?”
During a brief standoff, she admitted the gun was a fake and dropped it on the ground, leading to her arrest.
Rothenberg’s inexplicable actions have netted her charges of first degree threatening, reckless endangerment and interfering with police.
Torrington Police Department
