Daniel Ray Stubblefield Bend Oregon man sentenced to two years jail for spitting at police officer while claiming he had COVID-19.
An Oregon man has been jailed for two years after spitting on a police officer while also claiming he was infected with COVID-19.
Daniel Ray Stubblefield, 36, was arrested in Bend, outside Portland, on March 23, on the day that the state issued a stay-at-home order with Class C misdemeanor charges for violators.
The man’s sentencing follows a Deschutes County grand jury returning a five-count indictment against the man days after his arrest, including charges of aggravated harassment, attempted second-degree assault, attempted assault of a public safety officer, menacing and reckless endangerment according to Oregon Live.
Police had been called to a home in Redmond following reports of an unwanted intruder committing assault.
On arrival officers found the intruder intoxicated along with having two warrants out for his arrest in relation to a different offense.
Intentionally blew air and coughed on officer traveling with him
At some point, Stubblefield started coughing and spitting at officers claiming to be infected with the novel coronavirus.
When back-up officers arrived they placed Stubblefield in a restraint device that had a spit mask.
Once in jail staff decided to transport him to St Charles Hospital but during transport the spit mask had been removed and Stubblefield intentionally blew air and coughed on the officer traveling with him.
A Deschutes County jail lieutenant said Stubblefield didn’t test positive for the coronavirus.
Stubblefield pleaded guilty on Thursday at Deschutes County Circuit Court to aggravated harassment and menacing, and was sentenced to 24-months in prison, as reported in Koin.com.
Three other cases against him were dismissed as part of a plea deal the dailymail reports.
John Hummel, Deschutes county attorney, said in a statement in March: ‘We’re not messing around. Our first responders, medical professionals, and retail clerks are on the front lines of the battle to save lives and win the war against COVID-19.’
He added: ‘If anyone in our community takes a shot at infecting, and thus potentially killing, one of our front line heroes, I will use the full authority granted to me by the people of Oregon to hold them accountable’, as reported in Bend Source.
As of Sunday coronavirus has killed 305,000 in the United States and 1,150 in the state of Oregon.
