A report of suspicious activity on a local bridge led to police contact with an individual exhibiting signs of intoxication and refusing to comply with lawful commands.
Shortly after midnight on March 22, the Ottumwa Police Department responded to a report of a person walking in the middle of the Wapello Street Bridge.
Upon arrival, officers made contact with a 23-year-old Ottumwa resident, Geryann Hartman. According to the criminal complaint, Hartman displayed signs of intoxication, including bloodshot and watery eyes, difficulty maintaining balance, and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from her breath.
Officers reported that Hartman was given multiple lawful orders to stop walking away from a uniformed officer. Despite these commands, she continued to walk away and, upon being approached, attempted to pull away from officers as they attempted to carry out their duties.
Due to her erratic behavior, officers did not conduct field sobriety testing or request a breath sample using the Datamaster device.
Hartman was taken into custody and later released on her own recognizance from the Wapello County Jail.
She is facing charges of public intoxication and interference with official acts, both simple misdemeanors. A pretrial conference is scheduled for April 23.
Editors Note: All information was obtained from court documents related to the ongoing investigation.
