A 19-year-old is accused of running a red light over the weekend, but that isn’t what landed her in jail.
During the ensuing traffic stop, the young woman attempted to snatch her citation, hit the deputy’s hand and initiated a lengthy struggle, leading to a felony charge, according to the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident began about 5:15 p.m. Sunday when Deputy Steven Mills saw a 2016 Ford Fiesta speed through a red light along Ga. 154, according to an incident report obtained by AJC.com. Mills pulled over the vehicle near Crossroads Estate Drive.
The Fiesta’s driver, Jourdan Artist Watson of Newnan, told the deputy that she “was not aware she ran a red light,” according to the report. Mills decided to issue her a ticket.
While Mills explained the citation, Watson cried and interrupted the deputy by shouting, “Give me my (expletive) ticket!” according to the report. Watson is then accused of trying to snatch away the citation before rolling up her windows.
The deputy made her roll down her window, which is when things escalated further.
“(Watson) ripped the citations, violator and court copy, out of my ticket book,” Mills wrote in the incident report. “She reached back and hit my left hand and ticket book. At this point, I made the decision to arrest Ms. Watson for simple battery for hitting me.”
A lengthy struggle followed, since Watson refused to get out of the vehicle, the report said. At one point, the deputy pulled out his Taser but decided against using it.
While backup was en route, Mills saw an opportunity to grab Watson’s leg and drag her out of the vehicle, which worked. When Watson was pulled from her car, she hit her head on the interior of the door and began to hyperventilate during her arrest, according to the report.
Mills’ injuries were minor, and his watch broke during the incident.
When paramedics arrived, Watson called one of them a “corrupt pig” and refused medical attention, the report said. When she was placed inside of a cop car, she’s accused of kicking the door and partition several times.
Watson was booked into the county jail before being released on a $2,400 cash bond, records show. She faces counts of felony obstruction, simple battery, refusal to sign a citation and a red light violation.
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Credit: AJC
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