Woman who is EIGHT months pregnant 'Tasered by police officer after she parked in handicap space'
- Tiffany Rent parked in a handicapped parking space at a Chicago Walgreens
- Dispute with police officer escalated after Rent tried to drive away and he Tasered her
- Unclear if officer knew she is eight months pregnant
A woman who is eight months pregnant claims she was Tasered by a police officer Tuesday morning after a confrontation escalated.
Tiffany Rent, 30, said she and the Chicago officer were fighting after Rent parked in a handicap parking spot outside of Walgreens.
According to police reports, Rent tore up the ticket the officer handed her and attempted to drive off, but the officer – who warned her not to leave the scene – grabbed his stun gun and fired the weapon.
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Stunned: Tiffany Rent, who is eight months pregnant, was Tasered outside of a Walgreens while fiance Joseph Hobbs bought batteries
Errand: Rent was parked in an SUV two young children in the handicapped parking spot of this Chicago Walgreens
The Chicago Tribune reported that Rent and her fiancé, Joseph Hobbs, were at the Chicago-area drug store so that Hobbs could pick up a battery for his keyless entry remote for his car.
Rent’s two young children were also in the SUV with her.
Rent told NBC Chicago that she remained in the SUV while her fiancée went in, and got out to re-seat her three-year-old daughter.
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A police officer attempted to issue Rent a ticket for parking in the handicap space when Rent tried to get back in the vehicle.
‘He gave me the ticket and I threw the ticket on the ground,’ she told NBC Chicago in a phone interview. She then proceeded to get back in her car.
The officer told her that he was arresting her and wrote a ticket for littering, the Tribune reported.
Dispute: The confrontation became violent after Rent tried to pull out from the parking spot after the officer warned her not to
Little one: Neither Rent nor her unborn child were ultimately harmed from the stun gun
When asked for identification, Rent responded ‘I ain’t giving you (exploitive),’ according to the police report.
The report went on to say that the officer threatened to use his stun gun on her if she attempted to drive away. Rent put her hand on the gear shifter, and that’s when the officer fired.
According to the police document, Rent’s fiancé was injured as he tried to intervene and suffered a dislocated elbow.
It is unclear whether the officer knew Rent is eight months pregnant.
Rent’s sister, Shareeta Rent, was furious at the alleged attack. ‘I’m outraged, just livid,’ she told the Tribune. ‘How could you do that to a pregnant woman?’
Rent and her unborn child are both fine, and have been checked over by doctors at two separate hospitals.
Misdemeanours: Both Hobbs, pictured, and Rent were charged with resisting arrest and simple assault
Both she and Hobbs were charged with misdemeanour offences including resisting arrest and simple assault. According to NBC Chicago, Rent also received a ticket for parking in a handicapped space.
They are slated to appear in court on July 31.
Chicago police officer Robert Perez told msnbc.com that ‘an incident took place at 8:25pm and two adults were placed under arrest, and a Taser was used on one individual.’
However, the Chicago Police Department refused to comment further on the incident.
Police Supt. Garry McCarthy told reporters at an unrelated press event: ‘You can’t always tell if somebody’s pregnant. So, you know you want to use (a Taser) where you’re overcoming assault or preventing escape, that’s what it boils down to.’
Rent’s complaint is being investigated by the Independent Police Review Authority.
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