Easter Bunny Beating up patrons in Florida Mall

Could it be? Another WTF is wrong with Florida? I dunno...

Monday, April 17, 2006 | Updated at 12:24 p.m.

The Easter Bunny is arrested for attacking a woman.

This actually happened.

This isn't a joke.

Saturday night at the Edison Mall, a 6-foot tall 280 pound Easter Bunny and his assistant were arrested by Fort Myers Police for an altercation. For the Johansson family, it's a holiday memory they'll never forget - even though they would like to.

"It was something like you would see in a movie," Robert Johansson said. "The next thing you know my wife is sucker punched by the manager, she is pulled to the ground by her hair and then the Easter Bunny jumps on top and starts punching my wife in the head."

Arthur McLure, 22, and Crystal Frechette, 25 were charged by the Forth Myers Police with battery and disturbing the peace.

McLure listed his occupation as the Easter Bunny.

Johansson said the incident started because the Easter Bunny decided to close shop 15 minutes early on Saturday night with a line of children and families still waiting. Robert Johansson said his wife, Erin, approached the manager to complain when she was knocked to the ground.

The Edison Mall released this statement concerning the matter: "We have been pleased over the years to make a visit with the Easter Bunny part of the springtime experience at Edison Mall. We were shocked and dismayed at the events of Saturday evening at the Easter photo set, and it is particularly disconcerting that families with young children witnessed the highly unfortunate incident. We have been in contact with the company that operates the Easter photo business at our mall and will continue to cooperate fully with the Fort Myers Police Department as they move forward with their investigation."

Robert Johansson said his wife is still extremely sore from the incident.

Read Tom Hanson's column Tuesday

Damn furry griefers.

Yup - Even in the RL Sandbox it happens.

What can I say.

Not to say that what McLure and Frechette did is ok, but I wonder what Mrs. Johansson did to piss them off. I find it hard to believe she was attacked for no reason whatsoever. What's the other side of the story?

HP

What side of the story do you need?

If you work somewhere and someone pisses you off, jumping on them and beating them is unacceptable behavior.

So THAT'S where Harvey wound up!

P2

The last picture before the bunny and the manager lost it!

Didn't that happen in Mallrats?

Like I said, I'm not saying what McLure and Frechette did is ok. If they weren't physically attacked or threatened, then they should go to jail.

I just find it convenient that the story begins with "The next thing you know my wife is sucker punched ..." Whoa, wait a second. What led up to this? The only other information given is that they decided to close 15 minutes early and that Johansson “approached the manager to complain”.

Did she A) calmly and respectfully walk up to the manager and kindly ask that they not close so soon since there were still people in line or did she B) furiously charge at the manager screaming obscenities demanding that they stay open.

Personally, I suspect somewhere in between. But, what if it was more like B? What if she really was threatening?

Apparently there were witnesses and if Johansson was really the aggressor then I assume she would have been the one arrested. Regardless, I’m still interested to hear what McLure and Frechette have to say for themselves.

Basically, is the story really as shocking as it seems?

HP

Well, now here's a thread where the Goreans *aren't* implicated!

Not yet, anyway. Should we see if we can make a connexion?

I dunno... Was Billb Bob Thornton anywhere near that mall?

Not hard, the easter bunny is obviously a gorean furry that thought the guy's wife needed a little lesson to be reminded of her place as a slave. That females are less than human, less than animals. They should only speak when spoken to and never question the authority of males such as the Easter Bunny. She's lucky the Easter Bunny didn't feed her to a sleen.

(said ENTIRELY in jest, if you don't like it, just ignore it)

Whoa, I'm *SO* going to have nightmares about that.