Hulett woman accused of punching deputy

A Hulett woman has been charged with interference with a peace officer after allegedly punching a Crook County Sheriff’s Office deputy in the stomach.

According to court reports, two deputies responded to a welfare check request on September 26 at 4:54 p.m. after a lone female was seen walking along U.S. Highway 14 towards Moorcroft from Highway 24.

The female was identified by the reporting party as Natalie Johnson. According to the affidavit of probable cause, one of the deputies was actively investigating a case in which Johnson was the suspect.

When the deputies located Johnson, they exited the patrol vehicle and told her to stop. However, Johnson continued to walk and did not acknowledge their presence.

When the deputies identified themselves as law enforcement, Johnson allegedly continued to ignore them and walk away. The two deputies ran to catch up with her and ordered her to walk back to the patrol vehicle, which she did.

When one deputy attempted to interview her, however, she allegedly tried to walk away again, at which point the deputies stopped her. One deputy retrieved her identification and returned to the cab of the patrol vehicle to conduct a check for wants and warrants.

Meanwhile, Johnson allegedly attempted to walk away again, so the second deputy took control of her right arm and began to attempt to escort her back to the front of the patrol vehicle.

“While doing this, Johnson pulled away from me and struck me in the chest in a full swing with a closed fist,” states the deputy in his report.

Johnson was handcuffed and placed under arrest. She has been charged with interference with a peace officer, a felony carrying a maximum penalty of ten years of incarceration.