"But what is a public place? In fact, who owns the property you are standing on has no bearing on whether something is public or private. Under the law for the past 70 years, a public place can include private property that is generally visible to the public. This means that it can include your front yard, your porch, or any part of your property that can be seen by other members of the public without invitation."

On January 27, 2023, Rhoda Young, a licensed independent news reporter, community advocate, business owner, mediator, and citizen visited an apartment complex in Norfolk,VA- Lakewood Plaza. 

At the time of her visiting she ran into people she knew outside, and as a guest and citizen began to reminisce about a former elderly woman that she remembered in years passed which was being taped as Mrs. Young does document her life and is part of her brand. 

In the middle of the conversation, a woman barged out of the Building- she did not identify herself as an employee and was asking Mrs. Young's name and was completely the aggressor as she stormed out of the Building, with no cause,  to directly target and scream at Mrs Young while others were also out in the common area outside and witnessed this attack.

Young volunteered to leave - as clearly the woman who walked out screaming at her; and her only, was unhinged., even though Young is not banned from this property, nor even asked who she was visiting. 

This woman then demanded to know Young's name and told her not to film but did not allow Young to speak and kept antagonizing Young with her hand in her face while Young then exercised her freedom of speech and the  "stand your ground " law as the woman was clearly invading her personal space so much so that Young had to hold the camera in the air.

At that point Young told the woman that she will leave but what she wasn't going to allow is approaching her in that manner and she requested for the woman to get out of her face and she would not.  Mrs. Young was also essentially barricaded as people were sitting behind her and that's why she asked the woman to get out of her face and move because she could not. 

After a few moments of chaos, Rhoda was pushed but so taken aback that when she felt something she looked at her arm which the woman scratched. When she alerted that she had been scratched the aggressor then began to yell loudly that Ms Young "Touched her nose" and started yelling to everyone around to call 911 ( mind you she was holding a cell phone in her hand. ) and that she was pressing charges against Mrs. Young. After I believe two times of the woman saying she touched her nose she changed it said she "hit it". 

But she was so Close to Young that she appeared to have  bumped her own nose on Mrs. Youngs phone as for a moment she did back up and Young was attempting to find her way out from being stuck. 

There is a risk you take walking up to someone in that matter and violating their space. And once scratched the situation could have turned even worse but given the level of disrespect , from what was witnessed ,even in anger or this uncalled for behavior, Young handled herself as best as she could so that the narrative wouldn't be able to be spun into any stereotypes that tend to be directed towards black women. Young tried vigilantly to avoid being provoked by this aggressor. 

And in this day and age; covid, strep, flu, and other viruses in the area and picking up again rapidly, and  yet the woman decided direct face to face contact was the answer?With no room to move and, once again, put Mrs. Young in danger of any  potential contagious illness? 

Of course she only made a show once she realized that she scratched Mrs. Young. Yet again, another story of an aggressor playing the victim. 

Let's keep in mind, the woman had STILL not identified herself as an employee of the building. And even the ems person described before told the woman she needed to go back inside. 

But she ran out to an unknown target  to yell, demand a name and state that the building ( which they were outside of) was private property.But she never once asked why she came and told Ms Young who was speaking with friends that she "wasn't going to speak with friends"   

It could have been anybody and wasn't known until later that this was actually the manager of the Building. For all Ms. Young knew at this time the woman could have been a tenant, vistor, In home Healthcare worker etc. 

After the dramatic screams from the unidentified woman stating that she was calling the police,  many in the common area told Young to leave because they have seen her act and behave in this way for a while allegedly, and they were afraid  for mrs young knowing statistically the black person(s)  defending themselves don't often get the justice and are the victim- but the woman who claimed she was calling was Caucasian and statistically are favored in the courts. We see it everyday in this country sadly. But even statistics aside, who approaches anyone like this?! Especially a friend of a tenant. Are all tenants or visitors treated this way, and if not why was Mrs Young targeted for talking to residents about memories? 

No one wanted to see Mrs Young arrested for doing nothing wrong. But many feared for her as well as themselves but some did say no to the woman when she asked if they saw them touch her nose but clear as day - she didnt. Mrs Young was pushed a bit and then scratched but unfortunately they are afraid of retaliation from this woman which is what no business should be proud of, condone or conceal. That's a liability. 

When the security officer, ems, or fire department employee-  ,( unsure which from afar) came out when hearing the commotion and said "hello" to Young because as mentioned, she is a well known and admired person in this area. He tried to usher the woman back into the building at that time (as mentioned) but she was clearly upset that Mrs Young was known by the man and even looks like her shoulders sunk in aggrevation and it looks and sounds like  she even seemed to ask " oh you know her?" .

Young walked back to her car to wait on police, some residents and visitors approached and confirmed to Young this is the woman's behavior- but they take it as they " don't want any problems" which then insinuated to Mrs. Young that the woman was indeed an employee. 

From her car, Young called 911 herself as she didn't want to flee the scene after the woman claimed she was calling the police- even if she did absolutely nothing wrong, she- Young also wanted to press charges for being in her personal space, the scratch and the bruise received.

 Mrs Young stated that since the employee was calling the police she would stick around and wait to tell her side especially as the victim. During this time even a local firefighter recognized Young and all the good she does in the community and even asked her to sign his helmet. 

Police came shortly thereafter and told both parties to exchange information and that they should go the magistrate to file any charges.

And for the record at this time Young was STILL not given a ban or trespass notice even with the police there to serve it. 

Ms. Young, very rattled and angry that she was allowed to be assaulted and made to look like she was doing something wrong, proceeded to the magistrate's office to file the assault as directed by Norfolk Police as soon as she left. 

On 1/28/2023 Young spoke with a regional manager from the management company trying to come to resolution and also inform them of the employee's behavior and attack but was hung up on. 

Corporate was contacted by  phone and email by several sources that witnessed this and no one has received a response. Hr was even asked if they were conducting  an internal investigation, but again -no call or email was returned once again. 

It makes it appear as if this type of behavior and entitlement of the employee supercedes morals,the law and the companies very own core values listed on their website. We would be interested to know the company's policies on complaints and if they were followed or if the employee handbook was followed by the employee. 

On Feb 1, it was learned that the aggressor went to the magistrates office on 1/28/23 -possibly after the call to the regional manager and was allowed to file 3 assault and battery charges for the same incident which is odd,  and requested a protective order I'm addition to a false tresspassing charge. Even though she had not been served Mrs Young went to do the right tand lawful thing, once again. 

So now the aggressor is asking for protection? From what? Mrs. Young is the one who endured suffering, harassment, embarrassment, and false allegations that could effect other avenues of business. If she is seeking protection from aggressively approaching people that's probably a sign that maybe that's not a safe thing to do, a liability for the company, and just another tactic to look like a victim for court? Bullies asking for protection from their own actions is asinine. They should learn that their behavior is not acceptable and you can't and won't assault and target people when they feel they have a right to do so. It's unacceptable to do to ANYONE, and at hee age she cannot claim ignorance. 

And how is this not clear retaliation? To make it look better in her favor in court?? To pretend to now be afraid when the initial incident was her storming up, yelling and assaulting a stranger? 

 An aggressor approached Mrs. Young then- but Is now asking for protection?! They don't even know each other and if Young wanted to harm her she would have - when being attacked at the time -as her legal right to defend herself but she  knows that this country has a history of bias, and did everything in her power to get the woman to move so that she could exit. Young restrained herself even after she was attacked. 

The gaslighting needs to stop, especially involving the court system and  it seems this woman is abusing tax dollars and forms on false reporting resulting in the courts time. 

We have to remember, hundreds of people watched this happen unfold on live stream when she came out of nowhere and decided to act like a bully in attempt to intimidate another individual (Young).

And now that we know she is an employee this was unprofessional and now a liability to the company she works for in her approach not only physically, as she could have walked up on someone dangerous or with a weapon, and then how would the company handle that when clearly that is no way to approach anyone inside an establishment while clocked in or not, or anywhere else for that matter. 

Aggressors need to stop playing victim and doing this to people causing not only stress to victims such as Young, but a lifetime of incidents just like that in the history of this country. It was wrong then and it's wrong now. The behavior was out of line in general but especially as an employee behaving this way on the clock.

Aggressors are bullies who use the system to their advantage, possibly purgery and waste the time of the victim, the police, the magistrate and the courts as well as tax payer dollars for their own personal bad decisions. 

We are asking to stand in support of Mrs. Young and these false allegations against her. It could have been any one of us. 

We are asking for justice for Rhoda. We are asking for accountability from the employee but not just the court system but also the management company. 

This event not only impacts Young mentally if failed by the justice system and the company allowing this behavior, but also can cause damage to her businesses based on false allegations initiated by an agressor.

We also demand the employee at Lakewood Plaza be held accountable for her actions legally, including assault, invading personal space, defamation and  in the event of her accounts she filed - possible purgery. 

We also ask the company to conduct an investigation with their own employee conduct manual and core values and show how the manager failed. And also show which areas set forth my the employer was violated and not to the standards set when employment was accepted (and each new version of thejr manual that still applies). The agressor should under this is the last time she will get away with this behavior and needs to learn that her actions have consequences. 

This happens all too often and when Young tried to do the right thing -even if she had the right to defend herself after asking the woman to step back- she did the right thing. And once again the actual victim in this situation is being victimized.

Hold the employee/citizen accountable for their actions, and we ask the courts for Justice for the assault on Young, stress, defamation, violation of personal space, and an attempt at purgery if the story was falsified. 

We are asking you to stand with Mrs Young, and spread awareness that this behavior is no longer going to be tolerated by the employee/aggressor any longer. Let her be the example and hopefully this will spark changes in her behavior knowing that there are consequences.