Police: Local woman arrested after kicking officer during disturbance at PMC

POCATELLO — A 34-year-old local woman was recently arrested after police say she kicked an officer in the leg during an incident at Portneuf Medical Center on April 12.

Marla Plentywounds, of Pocatello, was charged with felony battery on a police officer following the incident, which began to unfold around 12:30 p.m.

Officers were dispatched to Portneuf Medical Center April 12 for the report of a woman, later identified as Plentywounds, being combative with staff and throwing items, according to a police report the Idaho State Journal recently obtained.

Officers were also aware that Plentywounds had an outstanding bench warrant that was issued in March after she violated pretrial release conditions associated with felony drug possession charges levied against her in March.

Officers arrived at the hospital and located Plentywounds inside an attached bathroom of her room doing her makeup, said police, adding that she refused to stop and come out of the bathroom.

One of the officers attempted to grab Plentywounds by the arm but she resisted, pulled away from him and then “kicked me with her left foot in a manner that I will only describe as a mule kick, where she kicked rearwords toward me, kicking me in the area of my right thigh just above the knee,” police said in the report.

The officer then took Plentywounds to the ground using a leg sweep, the report says. After a few more minutes of resisting on the ground, Plentywounds was placed in handcuffs and arrested.

She was then transported to the Bannock County Jail in Pocatello.

Plentywounds appeared in front of 6th District Magistrate Judge David Hooste for an arraignment hearing on Monday, during which her bond was set at $10,000.

She is due back in court on April 25 for a preliminary hearing that will involve local prosecutors attempting to prove there is enough evidence against her to elevate the case from the magistrate to district court level for trial.

If convicted of the felony battery on a police officer charge, Plentywounds faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.