Chicago woman charged with battery of Indiana police trooper

A 19-year-old Chicago woman was charged with resisting and battery of a police trooper Sunday in northwest Indiana.

Police troopers responded about noon to a report of a disabled motorist that had the driver slumped over the wheel and blocking traffic on I-65, one mile south of the Crown Point exit, according to a statement from Indiana State Police.

Diamond Merrell was parked on the inside shoulder of the fog lane, where her vehicle stopped working, police said. The trooper pushed her car off the fog lane and into the median for safety.

The trooper smelled a strong odor of marijuana while he was talking to Merrell and called for assistance, police said. A second trooper responded and was talking to Merrell, who had gotten out of her car and was being uncooperative.

At one point, Merrell wrapped her hands around the window pillars between the front and back seat and began to resist, police said.

Merrell kicked one trooper in the chest and caused a hand injury to the other, who went to the hospital for treatment, police said. She was finally restrained, placed in handcuffs and taken to the Lake County Jail in Crown Point.

Merrell was charged with battery causing injury and resisting causing injury, both felonies, as well as possession of marijuana and minor possession of alcohol, police said. She did not suffer any injuries in the incident.