FARMINGTON — A Livermore Falls woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to dragging a Jay police officer about 50 feet when he attempted to put a vehicle she was driving into park during a traffic stop.
Melissa J. Couture, 34, pleaded guilty in Franklin County Superior Court to three felony counts of assaulting an officer, eluding an officer and unlawful possession of heroin, and a misdemeanor charge of operating under the influence of drugs.
Fourteen other charges against Couture were dismissed, including drug charges.
Officer Dylan Rider conducted the traffic stop Dec 8, 2017, on Riley Road in Jay, according to court documents. After Couture pulled her SUV to the side of the road, she had given Rider what he believed was a false name, according to District Attorney James Andrews.
When Rider returned to his cruiser to call in Couture’s license, he saw she had gotten back into her vehicle. Rider then got out of his cruiser, returned to Couture’s vehicle and reach inside to put it into park. Couture then accelerated, dragging the officer about 50 feet before he fell to the ground, according to Andrews.
Couture then led police on a high-speed chase.
Andrews said Couture stopped her SUV on Route 133 and fled on foot, discarding drugs that were found on the ground near where she was apprehended.
Lab results would later show Couture possessed more than 200 milligrams of heroin, according to court documents.
Documents also show when Couture was taken to a hospital for an OUI test, she was incoherent and had to be administered naloxone, a medication used to block or reverse the effects of opioids.
Sentencing in the case has been delayed until Dec. 18. While an agreement has been reached that would have Couture be sentenced to three years in the state Department of Corrections, it has yet to be decided how much of the sentence might be suspended, according to Andrews.
The state will seek to have Couture serve nine months and a day, Andrews said. By adding the day, the sentence would be served at a Department of Corrections facility.
Defense lawyer Maurice Porter is investigating what treatment is available at the Windham Correctional Center compared to the Franklin County Detention Center, Andrews said.
The felony charges are punishable by a maximum of five years in prison, while the conviction for OUI carries a maximum of 364 days.
dperry@sunmediagroup.net
Melissa Couture (Franklin County Detention Center)
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