Wanted woman flees arrest attempt by off-duty deputy

DAYTON–A Dayton woman is in custody, charged with obstructing a law enforcement officer and third-degree rendering criminal assistance, following a November 29 incident where an off-duty Columbia County Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to arrest an individual with ten outstanding warrants, and the pair allegedly refused to follow the officer’s commands and fled the scene in a vehicle.

Deputy Riley Conahan was shopping at Dayton Mercantile at around 8:30 p.m. Monday, November 29, when he observed Jessica A. Wallingford, 24, of Dayton, shopping in the store with a female later identified as Wallingford’s younger sister. Conahan, according to the CCSO Case Report, identified Wallingford from a booking photo and Dept. of Licensing photo, and from her physical description on the CCSO Warrant List.

Wallingford is the subject of ten arrest warrants: four out of Columbia County, three from College Place Police Dept., one from the Walla Walla Police Dept., one out of the Pasco Police Dept., and one out of Garfield County. Most of the warrants are for third-degree Driving While License Suspended and Failure to Appear charges. She has one third-degree theft charge and one shoplifting charge, the Case Report indicated.

After observing the wanted individual, Deputy Conahan contacted Columbia County Dispatch via telephone and asked for an on-duty deputy to be sent to the store. At the time, one deputy was handling a suicidal-individual call and the other deputy on duty was summoned and enroute.

According to the police report, Conahan kept the suspect in sight until she entered the check-out line at which time he joined the line, then asked the checker if he could run to his vehicle for his wallet. He retrieved his personal weapon and handcuffs before returning to the store where he confronted Wallingford at the store entrance.

After Conahan stated Wallingford’s name and identified himself as a law enforcement officer, Wallingford, the report indicated, asked who Conahan was, then asked permission to give her purse to her girlfriend, Katylyn Rene Hussey, 25, Dayton, who was waiting in a parked tan 1999 GMC Sonoma pickup.

Conahan consented and when the store’s automatic doors opened, the report indicated, Wallingford allegedly began running to the vehicle, allegedly disregarding Conahan’s commands to stop running or else face additional charges.

Wallingford entered the passenger side and slammed the door, the report indicated. Conahan drew his pistol, stating in the case report that with Wallingford inside the vehicle, it could be used as a weapon, and continued to command Wallingford to exit the pickup and Hussey to turn stop the engine.

Conahan reported that Hussey was telling Wallingford “sorry” and “I can’t go, we can’t go,” and that he advised Hussey of potential charges if she drove away. Hussey asked to see Conahan’s badge and he offered to show them if she turned off the engine. At that point, the report noted, Hussey shouted that Conahan didn’t have his badge “this time” and drove out of the Mercantile parking lot to the east and northbound on North Cherry Street.

Conahan indicated in the case report that he had several previous contacts with Hussey while he was on duty.

Minutes later, the on-duty deputy arrived, and pursued the vehicle in the direction it had fled.

The next day, Conahan and another deputy arrested Hussey at her residence. She is charged with Obstructing a Law Enforcement Officer and Rendering Criminal Assistance in the third degree

Wallingford, who is still at large, was additionally charged with Resisting Arrest and Obstructing a Law Enforcement Officer.