BARTOW, Fla. – A neighborhood dispute over an animal control citation escalated into a felony standoff on Friday, March 6, 2026, resulting in the arrest of 50-year-old Amanda Sexton. The incident began on Twin Pines Court in Bartow when an Animal Control officer attempted to hand Sexton a citation.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Sexton refused to accept the paperwork, directed insults at the officer, and became increasingly belligerent.
When the officer opted to affix the citation to Sexton’s mailbox, the situation turned physical. Officials report that Sexton grabbed the document, wadded it into a ball, and threw it at the officer. She then retreated into her home and refused to cooperate with a Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputy who arrived on the scene to assist.
While the deputy attempted to negotiate with Sexton through the door, she placed a call to 911 from inside the residence.
During that call, Sexton allegedly stated that she would shoot any deputies who entered her home. The threat triggered a larger response, bringing additional deputies and supervisors to the property in an attempt to de-escalate the confrontation.
After a period of negotiation, deputies moved to take Sexton into custody. During the arrest, authorities say she continued to resist, at one point kicking a deputy in the legs. Despite the physical struggle and the earlier threats of gunfire, no deputies were injured during the encounter.
Sexton was transported to the Polk County Sheriff’s Processing Center, where she was booked on a long list of charges.
Her counts include Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer, two counts of Threatening a Public Servant, Battery on a Public Employee, four counts of Resisting with Violence, and four counts of Resisting without Violence.
Additionally, she faces charges for Misuse of 911 and a misdemeanor citation for littering, stemming from the moment she threw the original citation onto the roadway.
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