OPD Chief Apologizes for Football Game Arrest

Olney Police Chief Bryan Barrett apologized last week after two Olney police officers arrested a 29-year-old mother on outstanding warrants at Cub Stadium while she was attending a youth football game with her two children.

Courtney Aleman was arrested Sept. 19 while watching the game with her children, ages 12 and 6. Witnesses said the two officers removed Ms. Aleman from the stands in front of her crying children and handcuffed her within sight of parents and children attending an elementary school football game.

The arrest itself was lawful, Chief Barrett said, but he acknowledged that the decision to make the arrest at a youth sporting event fell short of the department’s standards for judgment and professionalism.

“The Department recognizes that, while the arrest itself was lawful, the decision regarding when and where the arrest was carried out was not consistent with the level of judgment and professionalism we expect from our officers,” Chief Barrett said in a statement.

“We sincerely regret the manner in which this incident unfolded, particularly given that it occurred in front of children, families, and other members of the community who were attending a youth sporting event.”

Ms. Aleman had outstanding warrants stemming from two previous encounters with police.

The first dated to Jan. 15, when she was cited for driving without a license and possession of an open container, Young County Jail records showed. The second stemmed from a June 26 incident in which she was charged with resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia, the records showed.

Municipal officials said Ms. Aleman had been given at least two payment plans to resolve approximately $2,500 in fines associated with the citations but did not comply with the plans.

After her Sept. 19 arrest, Ms. Aleman was sentenced to eight days in the Young County Jail in place of paying the outstanding fines, according to Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Joey Stewart. The maximum jail time available instead of payment was 17 days, Judge Stewart said.

Chief Barrett said the Police Department accepts responsibility for how the arrest was handled and has begun an internal review.

“The Olney Police Department accepts responsibility for the decisions made by our personnel in connection with this incident,” he said. “We are conducting an internal review of the circumstances, including our policies, procedures, training and expectations regarding the timing and location of arrests, particularly in public settings.”

Chief Barrett also acknowledged that police officers are judged not only on whether their actions are legally permissible but on how they exercise their authority.

“The men and women of the Olney Police Department are entrusted with significant authority and responsibility,” he said. “We understand that how we exercise that authority matters just as much as the legal authority itself. We sincerely regret that this incident did not reflect those standards.”