A Leesburg woman was arrested after she refused to get out of a car so police could search it for drugs.
Fredricka Tiombe Genee Owens, 30, was charged with resisting an officer (obstructing without violence) after the incident, which happened Tuesday morning after an officer stopped a gray Chevrolet Malibu for speeding near the intersection of Johns Avenue and Beecher Street. Owens was a passenger in the vehicle, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
The driver told the officer he was speeding because he had to take Owens to work and get back home to sleep. The driver willingly provided his license and registration, but Owens refused to identify herself, the report said.
While the officer was completing a written warning for the traffic violation, a K9 unit arrived and the dog gave a positive alert for the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. The driver and Owens were asked to exit the vehicle so police could search it, but Owen refused to get out and told police they weren’t allowed to conduct a search, according to the report.
Officers tried to verbally de-escalate the situation and explain why Owens was required to get out of the vehicle, but she still wouldn’t comply and made it clear she would not cooperate with the officers, the report said.
One of the officers reached his arm into the vehicle to unlock the passenger door where Owens was seated. Owens got out of the car and stood between the door and the officers in a clear attempt to stop them from searching the vehicle. Officers gave Owens clear verbal commands to step away from the vehicle, but she still refused, according to the report.
Officers tried to detain Owens, who tensed her muscles and pulled her arm away from them. She was eventually placed into custody and taken to the Lake County Jail, where she was released after posting $1,000 bond.
