Shiekiel Ford: Woman, 29, remanded in custody overnight after allegedly assaulting a police prosecutor

A Katanning woman was remanded in custody on Thursday after allegedly slapping a police prosecutor outside of the Albany Courthouse on Thursday afternoon. Shiekiel Annaliese Ford, 29, was originally appearing in the Albany Magistrates Court on one charge of common assault in circumstances of aggravation or racial aggravation and one charge of unlawful assault and thereby did bodily harm with circumstances of aggravation. She was further charged with two counts of assaulting a public officer and one count of behaving in a disorderly manner in a police station or lock-up. Police allege that on Thursday Ms Ford was yelling at members of the public outside Albany Court House when police prosecutor Sgt Peter Yuswak approached her to diffuse the situation. As Sgt Yuswak approached, Ms Ford allegedly verbally abused him before slapping him on his shoulder. She was arrested outside the courthouse and conveyed to Albany Police Station. While remanded in a cell, Ms Ford allegedly spat at officers, screaming and slapping at the glass walls. When she was let out of her cell to obtain legal advice, she allegedly banged the phone handset on the counter and acrylic screen, scratching them. Ms Ford was also charged for a February 18 incident where she allegedly slapped and spat at an officer twice while being arrested for allegedly throwing items at passing cars on Golf Links Road. Police conveyed her to Albany Health Campus for a mental health assessment. The officer did not sustain any injuries and was wearing a plastic face mask when he was spat at. Ms Ford was remanded in custody overnight and a mental health assessment was court-ordered for Friday.