Amazon driver charged with blocking traffic, biting police officer
An Amazon delivery driver allegedly bit a police officer and resisted arrest after blocking traffic with her van, according to Zelienople police.
Jaala D. La Bivins, 24, of Pittsburgh, was charged with a felony count of aggravated assault, two misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest and summary traffic violations including obedience to police directing traffic.
While police were directing traffic at the intersection of West Grandview Avenue and North Clay Street due to a disabled vehicle on Wednesday, Dec. 11, an Amazon van stopped in the middle of the road, stopping the flow of traffic, police said in an affidavit.
An officer yelled for the driver to keep going, but the driver exited the driver’s seat and went into the back of the van. As the driver was scanning packages, the officer told her she had to move the van, but she said she was doing her job and didn’t have to move the van, according to the affidavit.
She was told two more times to move the van, but didn’t comply and then refused to produce her driver’s license after the officer asked for it and said he was going to cite her, according to the affidavit.
After she argued with the officer, he and another officer removed her from the van and placed her on the ground, but she refused to put her hands behind her back and resisted arrest, according to the affidavit. At one point, she bit an officer’s finger causing a slight break in the skin, police said.
After she was handcuffed, she refused to get in the back of the police car, police said. Two officers from Jackson Township were then called to assist, and she was placed in the car.
At the police station, she refused to get out of the police car, but she eventually did, according to police. Once inside, police said, she continued to resist and was taken to the floor.
Bivins was arraigned and released on $25,000 unsecured bail.