One minute, a police officer was driving an arrested woman to jail. The next, say Fairfax County police, he was battling for control of his vehicle.
But the woman wasn't successful; she just ended up with more charges against her. She is Jessica Marie Schaeffer, 23, of 13121 Sparrow Tail Lane in Greenbriar.
The incident occurred Tuesday, April 18, around 2 a.m. The officer pulled a car over at Stone Road and Awbrey Patent Drive in Centreville. Police say a search yielded narcotics and two of the passengers — Schaeffer and Katherine Irby Jones, 27, of 706-B 23rd St. in Virginia Beach — were arrested.
THE CAR'S DRIVER received a summons for driving outside the restrictions on his license and was released at the scene. The third passenger was not charged. The officer then headed to the Adult Detention Center with the two women.
Along the way, however, police say Schaeffer freed one of her hands from the handcuffs and allegedly grabbed the officer’s shirt through the window dividing him from them. They also say she reportedly tried to grab the cruiser's steering wheel.
According to police, the officer struck her multiple times, in an effort to get her to release her grip, and pulled the cruiser over. A second officer arrived to assist, and they both handcuffed Schaeffer again and attached ankle restraints. Fire and Rescue personnel were called, and Schaeffer was taken to Inova Fair Oaks Hospital for treatment of a facial abrasion before being taken to jail.
Police charged her with possession of schedule-one narcotics, assault on a police officer, escape with force and possession of marijuana. Jones was charged with possession of schedule-one narcotics.