Gainesville woman charged with felonies after hitting and kicking police officer during traffic stop
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Kiarah Geneva Brown, 20, was arrested late last night after allegedly hitting and kicking a police officer during a traffic stop.
At about 10:13 p.m. on November 2, a Gainesville Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop in the 1400 block of SW 6th Street for a window tint violation on a car driven by Brown. The officer reported that he smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, and both the front and rear side windows had window tint that measured darker than the legal limit. Brown reportedly told the officer she does not have a medical marijuana card.
The officer reported that he asked Brown to get out of the vehicle, and she refused; he explained that his order was lawful, and she still allegedly refused. The officer reported that he told Brown he would forcibly remove her from the vehicle and then gave her five more verbal commands to get out of the vehicle, but she allegedly continued to refuse.
The officer reported that he forcibly removed Brown from her vehicle while Brown tried to close the driver’s side door on him multiple times. When he tried to place her in handcuffs, Brown allegedly tensed her body and tried to escape, then hit the officer in the face; the officer reported that he “instantly delivered a strike to [Brown’s] face” while maintaining his hold on her. The officer reported that Brown kicked his legs, pushed him with her body, and continually tried to escape, and then she said she would slap him and “was getting mad.”
Additional officers arrived and helped take Brown into custody.
A probable cause search of Brown’s vehicle reportedly produced about 8.2 grams of marijuana.
Brown has been charged with battery on a police officer, resisting an officer with violence, and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana; she was also cited for a window tint violation. She has no criminal history, and Judge Jonathan Ramsey ordered her released on her own recognizance.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Hopefully she’ll be sentenced to the limit but I won’t hold my breath.
I hope to see this on YouTube soon!
Not sure if this was legal arrest the courts have ruled that just Mere smell of marijuana in the car did not justify a search it would have to be in Plain view of the officer due to hemp now being legal in the state of Florida
Really man? She was arrested for failing to exit the car when lawfully ordered, “The U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of Pennsylvania v. Mims, established that officers can order a driver to get out of their vehicle during a lawful traffic stop for safety reasons, without needing a separate suspicion of criminal activity.” So no it isn’t an illegal arrest, not to mention battery on a LEO. She’ll be fine in jail, should’ve taken the ticket for tint and weed, could’ve obtained a medical card and had tint removed. to satisfy the courts, Tada! No jail involved.
In Florida, the smell of marijuana alone is generally no longer sufficient probable cause for police to search a vehicle or order an occupant out for a search. Recent Florida appellate court rulings have determined that due to the legalization of medical marijuana and hemp, the smell of cannabis is no longer “immediately apparent” evidence of criminal activity
But having illegal tint is sufficient for probable cause, so is not following lawful commands as well as resisting arrest. I am so tired of hearing about how people are being “targeted” … you put a target on yourself by driving around with darker tint than is lawfully allowed and smoking blunts. DUI is still against the law you know! I actually have a MM card and when you get the card it is there in black and white that you can’t use MJ and drive or operate heavy machinery. Stop trying to make this about WHO is being pulled over and maybe WHY they are being pulled over.
Poor officer….maybe they should be paid bonuses based on the weight of the suspects they have to arrest.
Was she traveling? Bwahahaha