When officers detained Tenisha Rice after she became “irate” she allegedly swung her arms and legs. She was handcuffed and put in the backseat of a squad car, but somehow managed to shoot a gun at officers.
Though this arrest did not go as planned, many departments have certain procedures when going through the process.
A story published by FindLaw went through the typical procedure police follow when they make an arrest. It noted that procedures may vary between different departments. Some departments add procedures to protect an officer’s physical safety, help document the arrest or help the officer avoid making a legal mistake.
Memphis police officers were called to resolve a situation in which a woman said her niece, Tenisha Rice, refused to leave her house, per the incident’s affidavit that was obtained by Newsweek.
“Rice stated she was refusing to leave until she gets her money and property,” the affidavit reported. “Rice became irate and officers detained Rice.”
The report continued and stated that she began swinging her arms, kicking her legs and kneed one of the officers.
“Officers threw the suspect down to the ground to effect the arrest and officers were able to reapply the handcuffs,” the affidavit stated. “Rice continued to resist and had to be carried back to the squad car.”
Because she was kicking the backseat of the squad car, Rice had to be further restrained.
Police were compiling information for the incident report and reportedly heard a “loud bang.” One officer approached from the rear passenger side to the squad car and another approached the rear driver side. The report then alleged that Rice had a gun in her right hand and began to raise it.
“Officers then backed away and took cover,” the report read. “Officers surrounded the squad car to get the handgun. One more shot was fired from Rice while in the backseat.”
The report did not state whether Rice was still restrained in the backseat of the car when she allegedly shot the gun, if her hands were cuffed in front of her or behind her back, or who the gun belonged to.
As police surrounded the car, they gave “loud verbal commands” and secured the gun.
“Rice stated that she is using the weapon for self-defense and making verbal threats to assault officers,” the report concluded.
In addition to two counts of attempted first-degree murder, Rice was also charged with two counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during a dangerous felony.
FindLaw stated that there are circumstances that allow an officer to make an arrest, including if the officer personally observed a crime, if the officer has probable cause to believe the individual arrested committed a crime and if the officer has an arrest warrant issued by a judge.
“The rules regarding what an officer must do while making an arrest vary by jurisdiction,” the article stated.
Newsweek reached out to the Memphis Police Department for comment.
