JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
An elderly woman and Jackson police officer have gone to court over claims that he is running a business in their neighborhood and that she trespassed and harassed his family.
Eighty-seven-year-old Bernice Peoples said she was disturbed by loud music and voices over a bull horn coming from the home of Jackson Police Officer Billy Sanders.
She said Sanders and his wife run an exercise business at their home.
In October, Peoples went to the officer's home.
The south Jackson resident said she felt threatened when the officer followed her home and questioned why she pulled onto his property.
"He said that somebody turned around in his driveway, and I told him that that was me and we didn't like that noise in our neighborhood. And I said I'll just call the people, and he said well I am a policeman," Bernice Peoples said.
"These people have a work clinic. They were working out at their home is what it was. This is a residential area. It's a residential home. They're running a business out of there. They had loud speakers and microphones," said her son Mark Peoples.
Officer Sanders declined to comment.
His wife, LeQuida Sanders, co-owner of Camp Muscle Fitness, said their business is located on Highway 80, but she has brought clients to their home for workouts.
Sanders said she filed trespassing and harassment charges against Peoples, then Peoples retaliated by filing an Internal Affairs complaint against her husband.
"This particular day she drove by while we were exercising. She got furious about it, pulled in my yard and asked me what kind of business are you running? Are you paying taxes? This is my person property. We told her it was none of her business and told her not to come back," said LeQuida Sanders.
Monday, Peoples was found guilty of trespassing and disturbing the peace in Hinds County Justice Court.
The charges against Sanders were dropped.
Peoples and Sanders live 4/10ths of a mile apart and were told by the judge to try to avoid each other in the future.
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