A 26-year-old Canadian national has been arrested for forcibly assaulting a federal officer at a Texas detention center.
According to the U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei, Grace Kirkness, 26, was being held at the Houston Contract Detention Facility in Houston pending her removal to Canada.
On January 21, Kirkness allegedly refused to follow orders from contract detention officers at the facility. When authorities attempted to place her in handcuffs, she allegedly punched, kicked, and bit an officer, according to the charges.
Kirkness has now made her initial appearance in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena H. Palermo.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ganz is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Related Federal Cases
- Matthew DaSilva, Assaulting a Federal Officer, Texas 2021 · District of Columbia
- Steven Cappuccio, Assaulting Officers, Texas 2021 · Texas
- Richard One Feather, Assaulting a Federal Officer, South Dakota 2017 · Texas
- Jordan Roybal, Assaulting a BIA Officer, New Mexico 2016 · Puerto Rico
- Joe J. Zambrano, Assaulting a Federal Officer, New Mexico 2024 · Puerto Rico
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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