Police: Officer Hospitalized After Woman Sprays Him In Face With Contents Of Loaded Syringe
BUTLER CITY (KDKA) -- A Butler County woman is facing charges after police say she sprayed an officer in the face with the contents of a syringe while he was trying to check on her welfare.
Butler City Police say 28-year-old Kristina Labruna, of Butler, is charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault as well as counts of simple assault and possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to Butler City Police Chief Bob O'Neill, the officer was on patrol around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday when he saw Labruna slumped over the wheel of her running car.
She was in a parking lot near the Spring Hill Suites Hotel on East Jefferson Street.
The chief says the officer went over to car and announced he was a police officer, but when Labruna came to, she was holding a loaded syringe and sprayed the officer in the face and ear.
Labruna was arrested and taken to the Butler County Prison to be held until her arraignment.
Investigators found a brown rope in the car that police say "had clearly been used as a tourniquet consistent with intravenous drug use." Police also found a suboxone strip and several empty stamp bags.
The officer who was sprayed was taken to Butler Medical Hospital and treated for the exposure.
He was released, but will need to follow up with doctors "to determine if he was exposed to any substances and or medical issues from the attack." The testing process will take months.
Chief O'Neill said they hope the officer can return to work soon.
