OKEECHOBEE — A 41-year-old Okeechobee man is accused of shoving a 65-year-old woman to the floor after accusing her of stealing his soda. Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Deputy Tyler Cox responded after a 911 call from the victim’s daughter. When he arrived, he spoke to the daughter, who reportedly told him she was in the bedroom when she heard her mother scream. When she ran out to the living room, she found her mother lying on the floor.

The victim told Cox that Noel Smith came into the room yelling at her and accusing her of stealing his soda. She said he swept everything off a counter top then got a cup of liquid and threw it at her, hitting her ear. She went on to say she told Smith she was going to call 911, and he shoved her to the floor, calling her a coward. She said he then went into a bedroom, grabbed an axe and went out the back door.

Smith was found on the roof of a nearby shed. When asked what happened, he reportedly gave nonsensical answers involving the government, war, terror and Islam.

Because he reportedly refused to come down off the roof, one of the deputies deployed his taser. Smith fell backward but then crawled onto the roof of the adjoining house. The deputies were able to retrieve a ladder, climb onto the roof and convince Smith to climb down.

Both Smith and the victim refused medical treatment. Smith was charged with aggravated battery on a person 65 years old or older. His bond was set at $5,000.