Local woman charged with battery on a law enforcement officer
A woman bit a Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) deputy during a domestic incident arrest, according to a GCSO incident report.
“On a daily basis, our deputies deal with situations that are sometimes in a heightened emotional state,” GCSO Captain Frank Copeland said. “Sometimes people involved do violence or attempt to do violence toward one of our deputies. This is one of those cases.”
Incidents like this one are a common part of law enforcement work across America, Copeland said.
The incident happened Friday, May 22. Four officers, including Deputy Jesse Ledford, Detective First Class Chris Jump, Sergeant Tommy Humphries and Corporal Rodney Sawyer were responding to a possible physical domestic incident call.
When they arrived, the suspect, Linda Diane Everett, was in the basement of the house. When officers entered, she attempted to run, the GCSO incident report said.
Then, Ledford grabbed Everett by the arm and attempted to detain her “due to her elevated behavior.”
At this point, she leaned down and bit him. She also scratched him with her nails.
While human teeth aren’t very sharp, bites can still be very dangerous, according to the Cleveland Clinic’s website.
People have some of the most infectious bites in the animal kingdom.
Even the bacteria normally found in a healthy person’s mouth can be dangerous if it gets into the bloodstream.
If someone is sick, a bite can transmit contagious diseases such as hepatitis, syphilis, herpes, HIV or other illnesses.
Ledford, Humphries, Jump and Sawyer together handcuffed Everett and left her lying on a bed in the basement until she calmed down.
Everett screamed at them, kicked and cursed at the officers, the incident report said.
Then, she tried to roll herself off the side of the bed.
When Ledford grabbed her wrist to stop her, Everett dug her nails into his wrist.
At this point, Gilmer County Fire and EMS arrived to check Everett’s vitals. She kicked at them too, but eventually answered their questions.
When Everett refused to go to the hospital, GCSO deputies attempted to take her to a patrol unit, which she resisted, the GCSO incident report said.
Together, Jump and Ledford picked Everett up and got her to the patrol car.
From there, the GCSO officers took Everett to the Gilmer County Adult Detention Center. Everett has been charged with Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer.
Ledford then went to the Piedmont hospital in Ellijay to receive treatment for his injuries.
“Every day, our deputies have the courage to put on their uniforms and come to work fully aware of what they might face,” Copeland said.