A Jefferson County woman, Christine Joann Rand, has been charged with multiple felonies after resisting arrest and behaving aggressively towards police while intoxicated. Rand, 31, is accused of attempting to cause severe bodily harm, resisting arrest, endangering others, and engaging in disorderly conduct. She is currently in jail awaiting a preliminary hearing. The Courier Express reported
Punxsutawney Woman Faces Multiple Felony Charges After Resisting Arrest and Acting Combative While Intoxicated
A woman from Jefferson County, identified as Christine Joann Rand, 31, is now facing several felony charges after allegedly displaying combative behavior towards the police while being under the influence of alcohol. The Punxsutawney Borough Police have charged her with two counts of criminal attempt – aggravated assault, specifically attempting to cause severe bodily injury with extreme indifference, which is considered a first-degree felony. Additionally, she faces two counts of criminal attempt – aggravated assault for attempting or causing bodily injury to designated individuals, a second-degree felony. Furthermore, she has been charged with two counts of resisting arrest/other law enforcement, two counts of recklessly endangering another person, one count of disorderly conduct by engaging in fighting, one count of disorderly conduct by hazardous/physical offense, and she has also been cited for public drunkenness.
According to the filed criminal complaint at Magisterial District Judge Jacqueline J. Mizerock’s office on November 9, the incident occurred on November 8 when the Punxsutawney Borough Police received a call from a concerned citizen who reported seeing a woman walking down the middle of West Mahoning Street. The citizen stated that he almost hit the woman with his vehicle. Responding officers arrived at the scene and spotted Rand, whom they recognized from previous encounters, walking with an alcoholic beverage in her hand.
The police approached Rand and tried to communicate with her, but she allegedly ignored their presence. They asked her to stay off the road, but she responded by yelling profanities at them. The officers warned her that they would return if she did not comply. As they began to drive away, Rand reportedly walked back onto the street, putting herself in the path of an oncoming vehicle. The officers activated their emergency lights, pulled over, and exited their vehicle.
Rand was then ordered to stop and informed that she was under arrest. However, she continued to yell profanities and attempted to flee from the officers. They managed to apprehend her by pushing her into the grass. Despite their attempts to handcuff her, Rand allegedly resisted their commands. Eventually, she was successfully handcuffed and placed into the patrol vehicle. Rand admitted to consuming a bottle of vodka, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
During the journey back to the police station, Rand persistently yelled profanities at the officers. When they instructed her to exit the vehicle, she passively resisted. With some difficulty, the officers removed her from the vehicle.
While the police were removing the handcuffs in a holding cell, Rand attempted to resist once again, using her body weight to push the officers. She even fought back, allegedly trying to punch one officer and grab his taser. Consequently, an officer reportedly struck Rand in the face during the scuffle. Despite the officers’ efforts to gain control, Rand continued to resist their commands until they managed to shut the cell door. Throughout the ordeal, she continuously screamed profanities and refused to cooperate by providing her name, address, or date of birth. She even claimed her name was “Justin Bieber.”
EMS was contacted to assess Rand’s condition, but she refused their assistance. Currently, Rand is being held in the Jefferson County Jail with a bail set at $10,000. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 14 at Magisterial District Judge Jacqueline J. Mizerock’s office.
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