A St. Johns County nurse faces felony charges after an alleged pickleball paddle assault, a case moving through the county’s criminal courts. Michelle Bannister has pleaded not guilty to aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and giving false identification to law enforcement, according to the St. Johns Citizen. Deputies say the incident occurred May 31 around 10 a.m. during a pickleball match at St. Augustine’s Treaty Park, where a dispute over a ball preceded the reported blows.The affidavit cites facial injuries to the alleged victim. Investigators determined no imminent threat to Bannister’s child; her attorney says she acted to protect him. Bannister posted an $8,000 bond and is due back in court next month, per the report.
