Grand Forks (trfnews.i234.me) — A 33-year-old Grand Forks woman is accused of assaulting officers during a warrant arrest. The case is now filed in Grand Forks County District Court.
Prosecutors say Elizabeth Ashley Denault faces two felony charges. She is charged with simple assault on a peace officer. She is also charged with preventing arrest. Both counts are felonies under North Dakota law and carry possible prison time.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officers went to a home on November 26. Family members told them Denault was there. Police say they found her in the passenger seat of a vehicle. She was on the phone when officers approached the window.
Officers told Denault about three outstanding felony warrants, according to the report. She continued to talk on the phone for several minutes. Investigators say she then reached toward her purse on the floorboard.
An officer grabbed her arm and told her not to reach into the purse, according to the affidavit. He tried to guide her out of the vehicle while holding her arms. Court documents say Denault pulled her hand away and punched the officer in the chest. The punch knocked off his body-worn camera.
When Denault pulled her arm back, she struck another officer in the face, the report states. That contact came from her elbow or shoulder. Officers say they got her into handcuffs. They say she continued to pull her arms away and swing her torso around.
Denault was taken to the Grand Forks County Corrections Center. She is being held there on the new charges and the prior warrants. Court records show she also has another active case. That case involves child abuse and child neglect charges in Grand Forks County.
The charges in this new case are only accusations at this point. Denault has not entered a plea in the officer assault file. She is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
People can review public court records through the North Dakota Courts website at ndcourts.gov. Information on dealing with police encounters is available from the ACLU Know Your Rights guide.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.