Drunk woman walks free despite biting cop and hurling abuses after she claims officer uttered ‘all lives matter’
A Manchester woman who bit a police officer and verbally abused other officers has been acquitted after she claimed one officer saying “all lives matter” angered her. Police responded to the home of Sicily Hunston in July 2020 after it was reported she was drunk and flaunting a knife at 10 in the night. At the time, the 20-year-old bit one of the cops’ arms and screamed, “I f**king hate you p***ks”, “you motherf****rs”. She also repeatedly yelled, “Black Lives Matter” and “I will bite you”.
Seeing her violent behavior as well as keeping the safety of three kids in mind who were at the home, a cop had to draw his Tazer. Hunston was then overpowered by the four officers, who were White, and they took her to a police van where it was discovered the woman was carrying a blade with her. Later, she confessed to assaulting an emergency worker and racially aggravated harassment. But she avoided jail time after paying a £100 ($139) fine and claiming one of the officers told her “all lives matter” while she verbally abused them.
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Matthew Wallace, who was defending Hunston, condemned police for their “ignorant” comment. The solicitor said, “I do not seek to justify her behavior and what she did in breaking the law and she feels ashamed of her conduct and behavior. But she said ‘Black Lives Matter’ and the officer in response said ‘All Lives Matter’ which antagonized her. It was an ignorant thing to do and the response escalated the situation instead of de-escalated it because of the occasion.” Wallace also stated that the woman had no earlier convictions and was engaging with mental health services before adding to be hopeful she could "move forward."
Prosecutor Peter Conroy also spoke about the incident that happened last July when the UK was also holding Black Lives Matter protests after the tragic death of George Floyd in police custody in May. Conroy said: “Police attended a property in the belief the defendant was in possession of a knife. She was in a bedroom on the ground floor and there were three children present when officers attended. She had a bottle of alcohol in her hand and she was clearly intoxicated. She was also quite angry and she stated there were knives and meat cleavers in the room and she also said she was in possession of a gun.”
The prosecutor further explained, “One of the officers then approached the defendant and said he needed to search her. But at this point, the defendant became very aggressive and it took several officers to apprehend her. One was forced to draw his tazer and it was then that the defendant started screaming and shouting abuse. The defendant then went to bite the arm of the officer and managed to put her teeth on his forearm. As a result, the officer pulled her head down with great difficulty and she constantly shouted racial abuse when being arrested and whilst getting into the police van and whilst in the van. A knife was found in her waistcoat when searched.”
“In interview, she admitted assaulting the police officer and biting the officer but she said she did this because the officer had said to her ‘All Lives Matter’ when she had previously been shouting ‘Black Lives Matter’. She is a lady with no previous convictions but this offence is obviously aggravated by the fact that there were young children in the property and that she was drinking when the officer was bitten,” Conroy added.
Along with a £100 ($139) fine, Hunston has also been ordered to complete a 12 month community order, pay the bitten officer £50 ($69) compensation and pay £180 ($250) in costs and surcharges.