Augusta woman accused of spitting blood in officer's face in Jay

JAY — An Augusta woman is accused of spitting blood in a police officer’s face while he tried to arrest her on a drunken-driving charge early Saturday on Route 4, Police Chief Richard Caton IV said Monday.

Jay police officer Dylan Rider arrested Maranda Nicole Lovell, 27, on a felony charge of assault on an officer and misdemeanor charges of operating under the influence of alcohol-one prior, refusing to submit to arrest or detention-physical force, assault, and failure to give correct name, address or date of birth, Caton said.

Rider had driven by a parking lot at a car wash on Route 4 and saw a woman vomiting, Caton said. He turned his cruiser around and saw the woman hastily get in a car and drove out of the lot. Rider stopped the vehicle when he observed erratic driving, Caton said.

Rider tried several times to arrest Lovell and she tried to punch him in the face, Caton said. After she swung at him, he brought her to the ground and she hit her head on the ground while resisting, he said.

As Rider talked to the woman, she spit blood in his face and continued to resist arrests, Caton said.

Livermore Falls officer Stephen Gould helped Rider put handcuffs on Lovell, Caton said. She was taken by cruiser to a Farmington hospital and, after she was medically cleared, she was taken to the Franklin County Detention Center in Farmington.

Lovell was released after posting $1,000 cash bail. She is scheduled to appear in a Farmington court May 29.

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