Woman sentenced after threatening officers at DUI stop

Judge orders woman to write apology to officers

WEST CHESTER >> A female motorist who placed Tredyfrrin police officers’ safety at risk during a drunk driving stop, in which she threatened to shoot and kill the patrolmen who were trying to get her into a police car on busy Route 202, has been sentenced to prison.

The woman, Jessica Maxwell, had refused to obey commands by two uniformed officers who had

placed her under arrest for drunk driving, and while they were trying to get her into the patrol car, she put her fingers in the shape of a gun, pointed them at one of the officers, and said, “Pow, pow (explicative).”

Maxwell, a mother of five, had pleaded guilty to charges of terroristic threats, resisting arrest, and driving under the influence of alcohol as a second offense. She was sentenced on Wednesday by Common Pleas Court Judge Patrick Carmody.

The judge, who labeled Maxwell’s behavior “a serious offense,” sentenced her to two months in Chester County Prison, followed by a year of supervised probation. He made the health care worker eligible for work release after serving five days.

In addition, Maxwell, of Coatesville, was ordered to write a formal letter of apology to the two officers whose safety she endangered during the stop, Tredyffrin Cpl. Donald Molineux and Officer Eric Meoli.

During the sentencing hearing, Carmody took a live telephone call from Officer Michael Cermignano, one of the patrolmen who assisted at the scene of the stop. He told the judge that both Molineux — who was named the department’s Officer of the Year in 2012 — and Meoli had used considerable restraint, patience and caution while interacting with Maxwell, who was visibly intoxicated at the time. Nevertheless, he said that both men were jeopardized by her actions without provocation.

The incident occurred shortly after midnight on July 10, 2016. According to a criminal complaint filed by Carmignano and Molineux, Molineux was patrolling the Route 202 corridor that morning and spotted a 2011 silver Ford Taurus traveling at more than 90 mph in the southbound lane of traffic near the Valley Forge interchange. The car had come up behind him, passed his marked patrol car, and sped ahead. As he followed, the car weaved off the road and then back into the center lane.

Molineux, who had radioed Meoli for assistance, pulled the Taurus over and approached the driver’s side of the car. He could smell alcohol on her breath, and asked her to step out of the car for a field sobriety test. He said she was coming from a wedding, and had a few glasses of wine and some mixed drinks. The complaint stated she was unsteady on her feet, and had red eyes and slurred speech.

Maxwell failed the sobriety tests, at which time Molineux informed her she was under arrest. As he tried to put her in handcuffs, which is standard procedure in such cases, she began to struggle with him. After he handcuffed her and began walking her to his patrol car, Maxwell began pulling Molineux into the path of oncoming traffic on the highway, again struggling with him. He and Meoli were able to get her off the road and tried to put her in Cermignano’s patrol car, which she refused to do.

As Cermignano waited, Meoli told him that while he was struggling with her she kicked him in the groin area and verbally threatened both him and Molineux. He said she used racial slurs, and said she would kill them both. He also reported her threat with her fingers.

When Cermignano approached the car, he found Maxwell sitting in the rear door with her feet outside. He said that for the next 60 minutes, he spoke with her and tried to get her to voluntarily get inside the patrol car, but that she repeatedly refused, using threats and racial epithets he believed were attempts by her to get him to use force against her.

According to the complaint, Maxwell reportedly focused her attention on Molineux, who had originally stopped her, telling him directly that she would “find out where he lives and come to his house.” She threatened to punch him, even after being told her actions were being captured on camera.

Finally, with the assistance of her fiancé, Kahlil Lindsey, who had been a passenger in her car, the officers were able to get her into the patrol car and take her to the Tredyffrin police station, where she continued to berate and threaten officers. Those actions, as well, were captured on video.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Andrew Davis. Maxwell was represented by Assistant Public Defender Kristine Mehok.