Charges Dropped Against Man Who Used Dog Leash To Lead Wife Suffering From Dementia Around Pennsylvania Fair
YORK, Pa. (CBS/AP) — Authorities have dropped a simple assault charge against a Maryland man who used a dog leash to lead his wife around a Pennsylvania fair because she has late-stage dementia. Court documents show York County District Attorney Dave Sunday found the husband "made an ill-advised decision while attempting to provide his dying wife a trip to the fair."
A judge signed the order dismissing the charges on Tuesday.
Walter Wolford had taken his wife to the York County Fair last September.
Police said Wolford yanked the 8-inch long red nylon leash, causing his wife's head to jerk back and leave red marks around her throat. But the 67-year-old Hagerstown, Maryland, resident claimed he only gently tugged on the leash, which he uses to keep his wife from getting lost.
Wolford told authorities that he attached the leash to his wife's waist, but that it somehow moved up around her neck.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
