HAVERHILL — The 38-year-old woman who hit a police officer with a car in March took a plea deal of four months in jail.
On Thursday, Christina Garrison, of East Barre, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of reckless conduct with a deadly weapon and five misdemeanors: false reports to law enforcement, obstructing government administration, conduct after accident, disobeying an officer and simple assault.
A welfare check on Central Street in Woodsville, a Haverhill village, turned into the subject evading police and injuring an officer in the process.
On March 27, officer Ty Brown approached a blue Nissan SUV, where Garrison was slumped over the steering wheel, he wrote in an affidavit filed in Haverhill Circuit Court. She didn’t respond to knocking, which prompted Brown to open the driver’s side door to shake her awake. In the vehicle, he noted drug paraphernalia and an open alcoholic beverage, he wrote.
Garrison, then awake, identified herself as Kristina Henderson but gave her real date of birth, according to the affidavit. Another officer, Joel Barton, arrived on the scene and Brown went to his cruiser.
When Barton approached her passenger-side door, Garrison tried to put her keys in the ignition, the affidavit said. Disobeying orders to exit the vehicle, Garrison reversed the vehicle and knocked Barton to the ground with the open passenger-side door.
“The vehicle then dragged him and nearly ran over him,” the affidavit stated.
Garrison fled to Vermont, but state police located her across the border in Wells River and arrested her on previous Vermont charges and as a fugitive from justice.
For the welfare check incident, the Grafton County Attorney’s Office filed over 20 charges — including felonies, misdemeanors and violations — in Grafton County Superior Court in April.
Barton has returned to full duty, Chief David Appleby confirmed earlier this month.
While the charges carried a sentence of one year, it was suspended, except for four months for disobeying an officer and conduct after an accident. The plea deal also calls for Garrison to be released to a residential treatment facility.
