UPDATE: The police account of an argument Tuesday in which a man allegedly threatened two Pokemon Go players and a woman struck a responding officer in the nose is "inaccurate," Jessa Nicholson, an attorney for the couple, said in a statement Wednesday.
Sonia Teas, 34, a Madison attorney, wanted to be present as responding officers questioned and frisked her husband, 33-year-old Harry Seidel, about the incident, Nicholson said. An officer told Teas to go inside, but she refused, saying she wanted to be there for questioning, Nicholson said.
Nicholson said an officer told Teas she was under arrest and "placed her in a choke hold." Three officers then took Teas to the ground using physical force, the couple's statement said. Teas denies assaulting an officer.
A Dane County Court criminal complaint said an officer put Teas in a "'bear hug' type hold" and said two officers were involved in the arrest.
Prior to the arrest, the complaint said, Teas talked in a fast and loud manner, became agitated and pushed an officer with her hands and forearms while trying to reach Seidel.
Nicholson said Teas and Seidel have no prior criminal histories and had politely interacted with the Pokemon Go players asking them not to play the game at late hours on their property.
"Police unnecessarily escalated what should have been an ordinary police inquiry to the use of physical against unarmed community members," Nicholson said.
Seidel denies having a knife during the interaction with the players and doesn't own a gun, Nicholson said.
A Pokemon hunt on the East Side did not go as expected for two players early Tuesday as a man brandished a knife at the players and a woman with him bloodied an officer’s nose, Madison police said.
The pair were driving near Hudson Park around 12:20 a.m. to play the popular augmented reality game “Pokemon Go” when two objects struck their vehicle, police said. It appeared that black walnuts had been tossed, and the driver believed they had been thrown from near the intersection of Maple Avenue and Oakridge Avenue, police said.
While continuing their Pokemon search on foot, the players came across Sonia Teas, 34, and Harry Seidel, 33, walking a dog near the intersection, police said. Teas and Seidel own a house nearby, according to Dane County property records.
The players told police that Seidel swore at them when asking what they were up to and said, “Don’t play Pokemon here!” Then Seidel drew a large knife hanging from his hip and told them to “get (expletive) out of here,” police spokesman David Dexheimer said. He also allegedly threatened to retrieve his gun.
Officers showed up to get statements from Seidel and Teas, separating the pair to hear their stories independently, Dexheimer said.
Seidel told police he politely asked the players, “Excuse me, can we help you?” He denied having a knife or owning a firearm, police said.
During her interview, Teas became “agitated and physically animated,” and she tried to push her way past the officer questioning her to rejoin Seidel, police said.
The officer told Teas she was under arrest, and she started to twist away from the officer’s grip, prompting the second officer to join the struggle, police said.
“During the struggle to secure the woman in handcuffs, the woman struck the second officer in the face, causing the officer’s nose to bleed,” Dexheimer said.
She was eventually taken to the ground and handcuffed after about a minute of resistance, the report said.
Teas was brought to the Dane County Jail on tentative charges of battery to a police officer and resisting an officer, police said. Seidel received a disorderly conduct citation and was released, Dexheimer said.
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento