After urinating in public, woman arrested for battering police officer

A homeless woman was arrested for battering a police officer and resisting arrest after arguing with her boyfriend, urinating in a public space and hitting a Bloomington Police Department officer with the passenger door of a cab.

At about 4:42 p.m. Saturday, Sgt. Dana Cole said officers responded to the intersection of East Sixth and North Lincoln streets after Tina Rogers, 44, allegedly removed her pants and urinated on the sidewalk.

After talking with Rogers, Cole said officers learned she had just been in a fight with her boyfriend because he accused her of kissing another man.

Because she was intoxicated and unable to walk, and because officers wanted to separate her from her boyfriend to prevent additional altercations, Cole said they called a cab. Once the cab arrived and she got inside, Rogers allegedly swung the door open, striking an officer.

She then refused to get out of the car, Cole said, so she was forcibly removed by two officers.  

Cole said Rogers was then taken to IU Health Bloomington hospital for a jail clearance because of high blood alcohol content before being transported to the Monroe County Jail. She was charged with battery of a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest, both Class A misdemeanors.

— Mark Keierleber