63-year-old woman booked for domestic violence

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Saraland Police arrested a 63-year-old woman for domestic violence.

Investigators said they arrested Velma Johnston Cale Thursday at a residence on Shelton Beach Road.

They said the victim was her estranged husband.

Corporal Arlan Gaines with the Saraland Police Department said, "A husband and his estranged wife, according to the investigators, were involved in a verbal altercation, which escalated in violence, and ended up with him being shot in the hand."

Police said domestic violence doesn't adhere to stereotypes.

Gaines said, "We'll respond to a scene and the evidence. As far as who's the aggressor, we'll rely on that. We do not go there trying to say, 'The man is going to be the aggressor' because it's domestic violence, and they're going to be the one arrested. It depends on whoever the aggressor is."

Police said the issue of domestic violence is very important to them.  At the department's front desk, police have brochures for Penelope House, a family violence center.

Shelter Supervisor Melanie Bankhead said very often, domestic violence cases fit in category experts call "intimate partner violence."

Bankhead said, "Intimate partner violence is a learned pattern of behavior; of control and power of one person over another. So, it's really not about anger."

Cale has previous arrests dating back to 1998 for third degree domestic violence, third degree assault, and harassing communications.

She is still being held in Mobile Metro Jail.

Police said the victim is out of the hospital.