Woman charged with resisting arrest, assaulting police officer

By Jensen, Randy on June 20, 2020.

LETHBRIDGE HERALD

Lethbridge Police have charged a 20-year-old woman who they say fled from police, hid in a yard, resisted arrest and spit in an officer’s face.

On Thursday at approximately 1 a.m. police observed an SUV with no headlights on at the intersection of 10 Street and 5 Avenue North. The officer attempted to pull up beside the vehicle in an effort to advise the female driver to turn on her headlights, however, she proceeded into the intersection, then eastbound onto 5 Avenue North.

The officer subsequently activated his lights and siren and the SUV accelerated east, then turned south into an alley. At approximately 1:06 a.m. a second officer observed the SUV parked along the 300 block of 12 Street North. A citizen approached the police vehicle and said two females had just exited and ran into some bushes across the street and into a yard. A K9 unit attended and PSD Robby tracked the subjects to a small crawl space between the fence and house, where one female was apprehended.

The first female was identified as the driver of the SUV. Police said in a news release she was extremely belligerent and refused to obey verbal commands. She was placed under arrest for flight from police, and began to actively resist the officer. A brief struggle with the officer ensued and the female elbowed him in the head. A second officer assisted and the woman was handcuffed.

The second female who exited the crawl space was a passenger in the vehicle and police say was fully co-operative. While searching the driver incidental to arrest, she continued to swear loudly at police, then spit in the arresting officer’s face and on his shoulder. As a result, a spit mask was put on her to prevent the officer from being further exposed to bodily fluids. LPS will work within Alberta Health protocols to determine whether COVID-19 testing is required.

EMS attended to the driver and determined the injuries to her leg as a result of the dog apprehension were minor and did not require stitches or any further medical attention.

Investigation determined the driver, who holds a Class 7 licence, had been drinking and had a blood alcohol level of .03 – contrary to the zero-tolerance requirement of her licence. As a result, her licence has been suspended for 30 days and the vehicle seized for seven days.

Kosovare Ajdini, 20, of Lethbridge, is charged with flight from police, two counts of assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. She was also issued tickets under the Traffic Safety Act for driving a vehicle with no headlights on, learner driver operating a vehicle without proper supervision (the passenger did not hold a Class 5 licence) and operating a motor vehicle contrary to a restriction or condition (zero alcohol tolerance).

Ajdini has been released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 22 to answer to the charges.