Archer woman arrested for domestic battery after two-hour standoff

Staff report

Updated on September 30 with bail amount.

ARCHER, Fla. – Cynthia Lee Correll, 74, was arrested last night on domestic battery charges after a two-hour standoff with deputies.

Click here for ASO’s video of her apprehension.

At about 6:45 p.m. on September 26, Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the 16000 block of SW CR 346, where a witness said Correll and her husband had been arguing; he said they went into the shed where they lived, and he heard Correll saying several times that she was going to kill her husband.

The victim reportedly said he and Correll had been arguing, and he went into the shed where they both live and lay down on the bed. He said Correll came up to him with a knife in her hand, pushed it against his shoulder, and threatened to kill him with the knife if he did not get out. He said she then hit him on his chest multiple times with her other hand, and he got up, went into the main house, and told the witness what had happened.

Deputies were unable to access the shed because it is fenced and two large, potentially aggressive dogs were inside the fence. Deputies made announcements over a loudspeaker, directing Correll to come out, but when she came out and was told she was under arrest, she allegedly went back inside. A deputy was reportedly on the phone with Correll for two hours while Correll allegedly refused to come out of the shed. During that conversation, Correll reportedly said she had argued with her husband and wanted to hurt him, but she didn’t.

At one point, Correll came out, and unspecified tactics were used in an attempt to subdue her, but she allegedly went back inside. At some point during the standoff, Correll reportedly cut her own wrist with a knife. After about two hours, she came out of the shed and was arrested.

Post Miranda, Correll reportedly said she had been in an argument with her husband but did not hurt him “this time.” She said she wanted him to leave so she would not hurt him; she denied hitting him or having a knife or threatening to kill him.

A search of the shed reportedly produced a bloody knife that Correll had used to cut herself.

Correll was taken to a hospital for medical clearance before being booked into the jail.

Correll has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, domestic battery, and resisting an officer without violence. She has no criminal history; on September 30, Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $14,000 but ordered that bail can be waived if Correll is accepted to Mental Health Court or Veterans Court. She is required to maintain an alternate residence from the victim.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.