Brawl Over Cookies?
Let’s Get Ready to Rumble Over Girl Scout Cookies
What is it about Girl Scout cookies that seem to cause so many problems? They tend to not be the healthiest food around, but that’s just the beginning of the issue. There have been cases of people stealing cash boxes from the cookie stands, troop leaders trying to take cookie profits, and fights over the cookies. In fact, we are going to be talking about a cookie rumble right here that is certainly leading to some legal problems.
The Debt and the Cookies
It was a massive $20 debt that started the brawl, which occurred in Florida at a Palm Coast Walmart. However, the fight is not directly over cookies. The $20 was not from somebody who owed money for cookies, and the Girl Scouts were not “putting the hurt” on someone who owed cookie money. Instead, it appears that two teens attacked family members of a Girl Scout with a claim that she owed them money.
The oldest of the teens, Daniel Kennedy, is 18, his brother, whose name was not released, is 16. The oldest brother was charged with three counts of battery and disorderly conduct. The younger brother faces one count of battery and disorderly conduct charges. Fortunately, the majority of the incident was on video surveillance.
When the deputies arrived, a table had been flipped over, and there were Girl Scout cookies and boxes scattered everywhere. In addition, one man, Thomas Ketchum Sr., 49, was on his back. He was suffering from chest pains, which he said were brought about by the attack. In addition, he said that he was recovering from open-heart surgery. Reportedly, he had undergone the surgery just days before the incident occurred.
Here is where the cookies get involved a little bit more in the story. When Kennedy, his brother, and his mother who got in on the action, confronted the Ketchum family and demanded that their $20 be paid back, Lisa Ketchum, Thomas’ wife, said they could not pay them. At that point, the Kennedys decided that they would be paid with cookies.
Again, the Ketchum family refused. This was when the Kennedys started to destroy the cookie stand and when they tipped over the table. It was at that point that Thomas Ketchum came out of the store and saw what was happening. He grabbed hold of the shopping cart the Kennedys had to stop them from leaving before the police arrived. At that point, Daniel Kennedy pushed him and started punching him. The incident caused Thomas to suffer from a sprained neck and shoulder. Daniel Kennedy also punched Thomas Ketchum’s 15-year-old son who was trying to protect his father. Others also got involved in an attempt to stop the fight.
Something Daniel Kennedy should’ve thought about, and obviously didn’t, is the fact that now that he is 18 years old, he will be charged as an adult for this type of criminal behavior. It will be interesting to see exactly what happens to Mr. Kennedy over this $20 tantrum.