A 25-year-old Tacoma woman pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a charge of custodial assault in an alleged attack on a Pierce County Jail corrections deputy.
The judge ordered Audreyanna Newell to appear Jan. 4 for a competency hearing.
According to charging papers: On Christmas Day, a female corrections deputy asked Newell to return to her cell, but she ignored her at first. Then Newell asked, “Do you want to go at it?” before raising her fists and swinging them downward.
The deputy put Newell in a “hair hold” and Newell ripped the top button off the deputy’s shirt. The deputy kicked Newell to free herself and other correction deputies responded. One used a Taser on Newell to control her as she spit at them.
Newell was in jail for allegedly stealing a man’s car from a parking lot Nov. 22. She has been charged with theft of a motor vehicle in that case.
Stacia Glenn stacia.glenn@thenewstribune.com
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