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On September 12 at 4:20 p.m., a Pinal County Sheriff’s deputy was assaulted and injured by an adult female and her juvenile daughter while investigating a shoplifting report from the Wal-Mart store at 1725 W. Hunt Highway, San Tan Valley. The deputy, with the help of a citizen, was able to take the suspects into custody. The suspects are Katrina Williams, a 38- year-old female San Tan Valley resident and her juvenile daughter.
Details: A PCSO deputy responded to the Wal-Mart at 1725 W. Hunt Highway, after store security personnel reported a juvenile shoplifter and her mother had left the store and refused to comply with their request to remain on-scene for law enforcement officers. Prior to arrival, the security officers confronted the mother and her kids. The mother forced the juvenile to return the stolen items, a gift card and makeup. They refused to remain on-scene though. A security officer followed the suspect to her van and watched the van drive out of the parking lot. The security officer directed the responding deputy to the suspect’s van.
Upon the deputy arriving in the area of the Wal-Mart, he observed a vehicle matching the vehicle described by security leaving the Wal-Mart parking lot. He observed the license plate matched the one given by security personnel. He stopped the vehicle across the street in a retail parking lot and attempted to speak to the driver about the theft.
After the deputy contacted the occupants, and discovered the juvenile suspect was in the back seat of the car, he asked the driver to turn off the car and exit the vehicle. Upon initial contact and throughout the incident, the driver was uncooperative with the deputy’s lawful commands to the point where it hindered his investigation into the theft.
The driver remained non-complaint and combative with the deputy, forcing him to deploy his TASER to gain help compliance. The driver eventually exited her vehicle only to refuse to comply with orders given to her in order to safely take her into custody. She was actively resisting the deputy’s attempts to take her into custody, yelling and further causing a disturbance. A citizen, seeing the struggle, came to the assistance of the deputy, helping to safely get her into custody.
While the deputy and citizen were taking the driver into custody, the driver’s daughter, the juvenile shoplifting suspect, attacked the deputy, striking him in the back several times. The juvenile was subsequently arrested.
The deputy sustained minor hand and arm injuries during the incident and was treated and released from Banner Ironwood Medical Center. The driver complained of injury and was also treated and released at Banner Ironwood. She was then transported to jail.
The driver was booked in to the Pinal County Jail for Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer, Resisting Arrest, Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, and Unlawful Use of 9-1-1. The juvenile was detained in the Pinal County Juvenile Detention Center for Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer, Resisting Arrest, and Shoplifting.
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