Shrub Hugger Injured While Trying To Stop Neighbor From Trimming

LAND O' LAKES, FL -- A dispute over whether or not to trim some shrubs has landed one Land O' Lakes neighbor in the hospital and the other in jail.

According to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, Gregory Landaker, 70, and his neighbor, Jeffrey Zlocki, who live in the 4100 block of Wajer Road, had an ongoing dispute over trimming some overgrown shrubbery in the easement between their properties. That disagreement came to head at about 6:30 p.m. Sept. 4 when Landaker began trimming the shrubs with a chainsaw against his neighbor's wishes.

According to deputies, when Zlocki saw "his bushes" being cut down, he tried to prevent Landaker from continuing the task by hugging one of the shrubs.

Despite his neighbor having his arms wrapped around the shrub, Landaker resumed cutting the branches with the chainsaw, according to deputies, and Zlocki was struck with the chainsaw blade, causing a deep laceration and cutting the tendons on his left hand. Zlocki was transported to Tampa General Hospital for emergency surgery.

Prior to going to the hospital, Zlocki told deputies that he believed his injury was an accident. Landaker also said the injury was not intentional.

However, Pasco Sheriff's detectives obtained some home surveillance video of the incident on Sept. 8 and came to a different conclusion.

They said the video clearly shows Landaker disposing of branches trimmed from the shrub when Zlocki arrived home and saw what Landaker was doing. The neighbors got into a verbal argument and then Zlocki walked over to the shrub and wrapped his arms around it to prevent Landaker from trimming it.

Detectives said Landaker can be seen in the video picking up the chainsaw and continuing to trim the shrub while his neighbor was hugging it and, "in a clear and deliberate act," cutting his neighbor in the process.

Detectives said Landaker then shoved the victim away from the shrub.

Landaker was arrested Sunday, Sept. 9, on charges of aggravated battery and simple battery. He was released from the Land O' Lakes Detention Center on $10.500 bail.

Image via Pasco Sheriff

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