A former Arizona Democratic congressional candidate has been arrested after allegedly forcing entry into an ex-partner's home with a knife and tape, then telling police the confrontation was a "misunderstanding" over a BDSM scene the victim denies ever agreeing to.
Phoenix police responded to a call at 6 p.m. on July 10 from a woman who said her ex-partner, Brianna Westbrook, had come to the door, and that she opened it believing it was her son. Instead, she found Westbrook holding a knife in one hand and black tape in the other.
The two wrestled until Westbrook pushed the victim onto a couch and told her "not to move," with the victim beginning to scream. The screaming brought the victim's sister into the room, at which point Westbrook, with a knife, allegedly made a lunging motion toward both women.
Officers went to Westbrook's residence, where the suspect said the whole thing was a "big misunderstanding" and that Westbrook and the victim were into BDSM. Westbrook admitted going to the individual's house armed with a knife and duct tape, but claimed the scene was mutually planned.
Westbrook claimed that the two had "agreed to re-enact a scene where Westbrook scares the victim to help her deal with prior childhood trauma of abuse." However, the victim told police she never agreed to "re-creating" the BDSM scene.
Westbrook was charged with felony third-degree burglary and aggravated assault using a simulated deadly weapon, as well as misdemeanor disorderly conduct. A release questionnaire for Westbrook's arrest shows that police checked boxes stating that the suspect has a history of domestic violence, noting that the "frequency/intensity" of such incidents has been increasing.
A preliminary hearing for Westbrook is scheduled for Monday.
