Woman Resists Arrest After Allegedly Hitting a Man in the Face With a Lamp

At around 2:00 p.m. on Friday, 9-1-1 received a call reporting a verbal disturbance occurring between a male and female in the 1700 block Cooley Street. The caller reported his ex-girlfriend, 36-year-old Danielle LaPlant, had struck him in the face with a lamp, or camp lantern, and was now standing on the porch.

A Missoula Police Officer arrived and began speaking to LaPlant. Another officer arrived and realized LaPlant was clearly upset and behaving in an uncooperative manner. The original officer attempted to calm LaPlant down, but her behavior continued to escalate.

Moments later, LaPlant began to scream and then started to run away. The officers loudly instructed her stop, but she did not do so. One officer caught up with LaPlant, and the two collided against a chain-link fence. LaPlant grabbed onto the fence and refused to let go. Officers eventually took LaPlant to the ground and placed her into handcuffs.

While an officer attempted to conduct a pat-down search for weapons, LaPlant swung her head down toward the hood of the vehicle and then suddenly backward toward the officer nearly head-butting him. After LaPlant was placed in a patrol car, an officer returned to interview the victim.

The officer observed that the victim had bloody cuts on the right side of his face and his forehead was swollen. The victim said he told LaPlant he did not want anything to do with her anymore and then LaPlant took a lamp and hit him in the face. The victim said he then went to the Poverello Center to wash his face and clean up, stating it was a safe place for him to be as LaPlant has been previously trespassed from that property.

LaPlant was charged with felony assault with a weapon, resisting arrest, and obstructing a peace officer. LaPlant appeared in Missoula Justice Court Monday afternoon and she was released on her own recognizance.