MORROW - Julia Munger insists she was just trying to protect her autistic son when police surrounded him inside a Publix grocery store, where he was yelling and cursing at employees. <br>
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But Clayton County police say the mother of 23-year-old Billy Munger became too aggressive amid the chaos. <br>
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Fifty-four-year-old Julia Munger has been charged with obstruction and battery of an officer stemming from the January confrontation. She pleaded innocent to the charges Tuesday at an arraignment hearing. Billy Munger was not charged. <br>
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Police said Billy Munger was using the men's room in the Morrow Publix on January 13 when he began screaming. He threatened to kill a store manager who went to investigate. <br>
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When officer Shannon Stroup arrived at the scene, she saw Billy Munger throw his doll at the manager. Billy Munger then ran past the officer. Stroup gave chase and she said, received a blow to the upper lip. <br>
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No one else was injured. <br>
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Munger was originally charged with obstruction. After her trial on that charge was delayed Monday, she was charged with two counts of battery. <br>
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If convicted, Munger faces a possible sentence of two years in prison and a two-thousand-dollar fine. The trial has been rescheduled for August 26. <br>
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Clayton Solicitor Keith Martin said the additional charges are based on information that came from interviews Munger has given to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and WSB-TV.
