Woman gets jail for assaults

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on June 5, 2024.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A 27-year-old woman who assaulted several people – one every month for three out of four months – has received a short jail sentence.

Felicia Jody Big Weasel was sentenced to 30 days in jail after she pleaded guilty Tuesday in Lethbridge court of justice to three counts of assault.

The first of the assaults occurred on Nov. 22, 2023 at The Bay shopping Centre downtown. A security officer was assisting Big Weasel, who appeared to be having mental health issues and may have been under the influence of narcotics.

The officer asked if she would like him to call the Diversion Outreach Team (DOT), which provides transportation and outreach support to vulnerable community members. Big Weasel said yes, but provided him with a name other than her own.

“DOT required a last name so he went back and asked the female for her last name,” explained Crown Prosecutor James Rouleau. “That’s when she took a swing, punched him in the left arm.”

The following month, on Dec. 7, Big Weasel was at the Park Place Mall, despite a previous release order prohibiting her from being at the mall. A security officer called police to report he had Big Weasel in his custody for trespassing and assaulting a mall employee who was cleaning a bathroom.

Big Weasel pushed the woman hard from behind and swore at her, for no apparent reason.

“There was no real rhyme or reason that (the victim) could come up with as to why the assault had transpired,” Rouleau said.

Two months later, on Feb. 3 of this year, Big Weasel committed another assault.

RCMP were called to Napii’s Place community centre in Brocket where a female employee had attempted to help Big Weasel, who was looking for a place to sleep. The employee found some clean clothes for Big Weasel, who then complained about having to change clothes and accused the woman of making certain comments.

At one point during their interaction, Big Weasel slapped the worker across the face, slightly injuring her nose.

In addition to her sentence, for which she was given credit for 23 days spent in remand custody, Big Weasel was placed on probation for one year.