"Irate" woman made police drag her to the car over $60, report says

JONESBORO, Ark. – She wouldn’t go without a fight, the report says.

Stephanie M. Arms, 38, home address unknown, was arrested Monday for misdemeanor charges of assault in the third degree, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest over a dispute about money.

The Jonesboro Police Department incident report describes what happened. At 11:46 a.m. Monday, April 17, Officer Kristoffer Winfrey was dispatched to the 1600-block of Brooke Circle over a disturbance call. When he arrived, Arms was already angry, his report says.

“What?,” The arrestee yelled out, per the report.

“What?,” The officer yelled back.

“What the fu** do you want?,” Arms shouted back, according to the officer.

The officer wanted to learn more about what was going on, so he spoke to the complainant who began to explain the situation, before Arms became upset, again. She interrupted the complainant, becoming aggressive, irate and threatening to fight. Winfrey told her to stand at a distance as he continued to learn what was happening. She refused and after several more attempts, the officer decided it was time to put handcuffs on Arm’s wrists.

However, the suspect fought back, the officer said. She began to push the officer and swing her elbows in an attempt to not be detained, so the officer took her to the ground. Around this time, Officer Justin Thompson arrived to assist. He told the woman to stop resisting, his report said.

Thompson said her reply was to call him and Winfrey, “stupid bitches,” and “stupid fu**ing ni**ers.”

The officer advised her to stop using profane language but Arms seemed to be most unreasonable in the encounter, continuing to curse and telling the officers, “Y’all are going to have to drag me.” Displaying solid patience, the officers sat her down and gave her a chance to become more reasonable but to no avail. The officers lifted her by her armpits and took her, against her will, to the car – as the woman dug her feet into the ground the entire time, the report says.

She concluded her antics by allegedly telling Officer Thompson she should kick him in the head – and then confirming she was threatening an officer.

With the woman finally under control, police could focus on figuring out what had her upset. Apparently, she had an agreement with her husband to pay another couple $100 a week to stay with them – but after two days, Arms and her husband had moved out. It was agreed that $50 would be refunded and on Sunday, April 16, it was, the complainant said. Arms showed up Monday claiming they owed her $60 because they did not stay the entire week. She said she tried explaining it to her but Arms wouldn’t listen and began threatening to fight, which resulted in the call to police.

Arms is scheduled for a court at 1 p.m. on Wednesday. She remains in Craighead County Detention Center as of Tuesday night.

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