Woman accused of battering officers

SANDPOINT — A woman is facing felony charges for allegedly rampaging through a downtown nightspot early Saturday morning and battering two Sandpoint Police officers who arrested her.

Mercades Marie Bockas made an initial appearance in Bonner County Magistrate Court on Monday, although documents from the brief hearing were not immediately available. She is charged with two counts of battery on a law officer and has refused the appointment of a public defender, available court records show.

Police were summoned to the A&P Bar & Grill shortly before 1:30 a.m. after Bockas assaulted a bouncer, in addition to kicking and punching the bar’s glass front door until it broke, a probable cause affidavit alleges. Officers waded into a full house and found Bockas pinned to the ground by a woman in the bar’s back parking lot after she allegedly attempted to fight her way back in.

Bockas, 25, was confrontational with officers and refused to answer any questions. Officer Steven Kingery placed his hand out to create distance between himself and Bockas, prompting the woman to strike Kingery in the left eye, the affidavit said. Bockas was placed under arrest and struggled with officers as she was being led away. She allegedly head-butted Officer White in the nose, which drew blood, according to court documents.

Bockas was carried by her wrists and ankles to the patrol vehicle and placed on her stomach, the affidavit said. Bockas managed to slip her restraints and continued to scuffle while swinging her handcuffed wrist at the officers. Bockas, however, was subdued without further incident, court records indicate.

A preliminary hearing in the case is set for April 24.

Bockas has no prior criminal history in the state of Idaho, according to the state’s iCourt database.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.