LOGAN, OHIO – A woman was arrested and tasered at a middle school football game in Logan, Ohio on Wednesday according to police. School Resource Officer Chris Smith was working a special duty detail at the Logan High School Stadium for the 7th and 8th grade football games. The special duty assignment was requested by the Logan Hocking School District to help ensure the safety of the fans and athletes during their inside and outside sporting events.
The woman was arrested, not for violating state or local laws, but for violating the school’s policy on wearing masks while on school property. The Logan Hocking School District requires that all spectators must wear a mask while on school property, regardless of social distancing rules by state or local health officials.
“Officer Smith was walking in the stadium and observed a female sitting in the stands without a mask, he approached the female and advised her she needed to put her mask on as required by the school policy,” the department said. “The female advised that she had asthma and was not going to put it on. Officer Smith advised the female several times that she needed to put her mask on, and that if she did not, she would be asked to leave and would have wait outside the stadium.”
The female continually refused his request and Officer Smith advised her that if she refused to leave, she would be cited for trespassing and escorted off the property.”Police said, after several attempts to get her to leave, Officer Smith advised her she was under arrest for criminal trespassing and asked her to place her hands behind her back multiple times and she refused.
Officer Smith attempted to place her hand behind her back, the female began resisting by pulling away from the Officer and another female began interfering with the arrest. Officer Smith advised her to comply or he would deploy his Taser if she did not quit resisting. She continued to resist, and Officer Smith placed his Taser on her shoulder area and drive stunned her once.
Police say she was not arrested for failing to wear a mask, she was asked to leave the premises for continually violating school policy. Once she refused to leave the premises, she was advised she was under arrest for criminal trespassing, she resisted the arrest, which led to the use of force.
