CARDIFF-BY-THE-SEA, Calif. -- A woman arrested on charges of battery on a sheriff's deputy and resisting an officer at a fundraiser for Democratic congressional candidate Francine Busby in Cardiff-By-The-Sea said Sunday the incident might be politically motivated, provoked by a heckler who was outside the home.

Shari Barman, 60, called the sheriff deputy’s actions "unprofessional behavior." The deputy, acting on a noise complaint, arrested Barman on allegations she hit him when he responded to the house. Barman, who is well-known in local tennis circles and is the partner of Acura Classic co-founder Jane Stratton, was booked into the Vista Detention Facility and released Saturday morning. In a e-mail statement, Barman denied hitting the deputy, who has been with the department for two years.

The event in the home she shares with Stratton was to raise funds for Busby, who has twice unsuccessfully run for the 50th Congressional District seat currently held by Brian Bilbray and plans to try again next year.

Barman said as many as 50 people attended the event, which included a speech by Busby, and was breaking up when the deputy arrived.

Barman said she gave the deputy her name but refused his request for her date of birth. He then grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground, she said. When Stratton told the deputy to be careful with Barman's arm, the deputy threw Stratton to the ground, Barman said.

While Busby was speaking earlier, a male neighbor heckler shouted at her, so the initial noise complaint might be politically motivated, Barman said.

Busby plans to meet with sheriff's officials Monday to determine who made the noise complaint, The Union-Tribune reported Sunday.

Sgt. Thomas Yancey told the newspaper a man called around 9:30 p.m. to say someone was talking on a loudspeaker, and the crowd was yelling and cheering, keeping him awake. Barman said Busby used a loudspeaker, but her talk was over long before the complaint was made.

A woman who attended the event and lives in the neighborhood said the only noise from the gathering came from the heckler. She agreed with Barman's assessment that the incident was politically motivated.

"We had two louder parties last weekend in the neighborhood," said the woman, who asked to remain anonymous. She said she left before the deputy arrived and was shocked to find eight to 10 patrol cars and a helicopter outside. "It was an extreme over-reaction to what was going on," she said.

Yancey told the newspaper that a crowd surrounded the deputy and a female ride-along was kicked.

Barman is scheduled to appear in court by Aug. 11 on two misdemeanor counts.