An Owensville woman facing five charges following an alleged driving while intoxicated crash early Feb. 2, where she struck a parked car and then fled the scene on foot, has been charged with felony property damage and misdemeanor assault of a Maries County Sheriff’s deputy jailer where he was taken for a 12-hour safekeeping hold.

Charged Feb. 6 in a Maries County warrant with the class D felony alleging first-degree property damage was Michaela Dawn Sullivan, 24, Owensville. Sullivan is also charged with one class A misdemeanor count of assault on a law enforcement officer in the fourth degree.

Maries County Sheriff Chris Heitman told The Republican’s sister newspaper The Maries County Advocate that Sullivan was “highly impaired and out of control” when delivered to their jail at around 3:39 a.m. by Owensville police.

In the booking room, she smashed to pieces a tray from a $1,000 Lexmark printer.

She refused to provided “pertinent information” to the deputy during the booking process. After destroying the printer tray, she was placed in wrist restraints but managed to slip out of those. When Deputy Caleb J. Cooper attempted to adjust the restraints, Sullivan is alleged to have punched him in the left eye with a closed fist, slightly bending his eyeglasses.

Heitman said she probably should have been pepper-sprayed but that they try very hard to avoid violence and have used a restraint chair with much success. His rule is they spend two hours in the chair. It gives them a safe way to cool down and sober up.

“I’m proud of my deputy for maintaining control and handling the situation,” Heitman said.

Sullivan’s trip to Maries County began earlier in the morning when she was stopped driving erratically on Highway 28.   

Owensville patrolman Troy Ebeling observed a white Jeep Wrangler traveling west on Highway 28 at around 1:37 a.m. Feb. 2. The vehicle was following another vehicle too close, alternating between accelerating and slowing suddenly, according to a report filed by Ebeling who left a stationary patrol position and began following the Jeep. He witnessed the Jeep turn right onto Cuba Street and when he turned the corner, he found it had crossed over the center line and struck a parked 2008 Ford Explorer.

A nearby resident told police a woman had fled the scene and was seen running west down an alley toward First Street. 

Lt. Scott Griffith was patrolling separate from Ebeling and located Sullivan hiding behind a pillar at the U.S. Post Office facility off of Highway 28 and North Second Street. Griffith reported she got into the squad car on her own, telling him she was tired of running. Her jeans were muddy and torn at the knee and her mouth was bloody, as if she’d fallen. She screamed at him when he asked if she needed medical attention.

She was placed in handcuffs but she became more uncooperative, Griffith reported. She was arrested on allegations of leaving the scene of an accident at approximately 1:45 a.m. and driven the police station.

There, Griffith reported, Sullivan refused to tell police her name, address or any other information. Ebeling located her driver’s license in the damaged Jeep.

She refused to sit in the booking chair and continued to curse and scream. She threw paperwork which was on a desk onto the floor and refused to comply with lawful orders to remain seated and charged at Griffith. He cuffed her right leg to a wall-mount. She charged him again and fell to the floor, crying.

When Ebeling returned to the station, Sullivan refused several times to let police administer a breath test. Although she was read her Miranda rights, she acknowledged she was drunk but not an idiot. She did not provide police with any contact information or her address.

Due to her uncooperative nature, Griffith’s report noted they did not attempt to give her a field sobriety test. As they were placing her in a squad car for transportation to the Maries County Jail in Vienna for the 12-hour hold, she threw her self to the ground outside. When Ebeling lifted her off the ground to place her in the car, she allegedly struck him in the face with her hands.

Charges are also pending locally.

(With additional reporting by Laura Schiermeier of The Maries County Advocate’s staff).