A Morgantown woman was arrested and charged for allegedly not obeying police and not following Gov. Jim Justice’s executive order to restrict gatherings to five people or less.
Katrina Margaret Herrell, 21, was charged with two counts of obstructing an officer.
A loud house party on Spruce Street was reported at 12:45 a.m. Thursday and Morgantown Police officers arrived to find about 10 people leaving the residence, according to a criminal complaint.
Chief Ed Preston said officers have been to that house for parties and given warnings multiple times since the governor’s executive order went into effect.
Officers spoke to the woman who lived at the apartment, Herrell, and asked for her name so they could issue her a citation. Herrell said she did not have to give her name, the complaint said.
She was told she was being given a lawful order and to give her name or be arrested and she responded by walking back inside the home, according to the complaint.
Herrell was arrested for obstructing an officer and obstructing the governor’s order to not have a gathering with more than five people, the complaint said.
Herrell was arraigned by Magistrate Tim Pocius on Thursday and released on a $1,500 personal recognizance bond.
Preston said officers also cited several other people at the party for offenses, including possession of marijuana and Xanax.
Dakwonte Lee Avery, 23, was cited for possession of a controlled substance.
Jalen Rashawd Butler, 24, was cited for possession of a controlled substance and two counts of obstructing an officer.
Malik Shaheem Kadeem Medley, 22, was cited for two counts of obstructing an officer.
“Essentially they were argumentative and said they didn’t have to leave the area or follow officers’ instructions,” Preston said.
Other than this incident, people have listened when MPD enforces the governor’s social distancing order, Preston said.
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Morgantown Area News
'Tuesday, November 5, 2024'
