Woman in cop’s assault avoids jail time in deal

A woman who was punched by a Baltimore police officer after punching another officer twice — with the entire episode caught onvideo that wentviral — has pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and been placed on probation, court records show.

Sharnesha Street, 43, of Waverly, was sentenced to two years of probation and received a fully suspended two-year prison sentence Monday after pleading guilty to both counts of assault related to the May 29 incident, online court records show.

Widely-circulated video of the altercation showed Street striking Sgt. Greg Higley twice before Officer Terry Love Jr. punches her from behind, sending her to the ground. A report from the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office released a few days later stated that Street also tried to run over Higley with her vehicle.

Street’s attorney, J. Wyndal Gordon, said her case has been moved over to the state’s Mental Health Courts, which maintain specialized court dockets that prioritize rehabilitation and treatment methods for defendants with mental illness.

“She’s coming home today and she’s in great spirits,” Gordon said.

The Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office declined to charge Love, ruling that the use of force was justified because he was acting in response to her striking the other officer.

However, a spokeswoman said that the office strongly disagreed with the action the officer took and encouraged the department to review the incident internally.

Gordon said he plans to file a civil rights lawsuit against Love, adding that despite prosecutors’ ruling on the incident, “it sends a bad message to the citizens.”

“We can’t let him get away with that,” he said. “There has to be some level of accountability.”