Washington County woman who coughed on trooper claimed she had covid-19

A Washington County woman who coughed on a state trooper Sunday, claiming she had covid-19 as she was being arrested, was charged Tuesday with making terroristic threats and related crimes.

Jessica Lee Harvey, 37, of Houston, also is charged with harassment, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness by state police Trooper Thomas Schuster in connection with the incident. She was ordered held in the county jail after failing to post $25,000 bond.

Schuster said troopers were called to Pike Street in Houston on Sunday afternoon for a report of a domestic altercation, but left the scene after being unable to locate the participants, including Harvey.

About an hour later, at 5:50 p.m. Sunday, an off-duty municipal policeman reported seeing a “disheveled and bleeding” woman walking in the vicinity of Pike Street who turned out to be Harvey and called 911.

When troopers arrived, Schuster said they found Harvey, “who was bleeding and appeared to be intoxicated.”

Troopers called an ambulance, but Harvey refused treatment. She also reported her injuries were from a fall earlier Sunday.

While processing the scene, Schuster said troopers discovered Harvey was wanted on multiple arrest warrants, including some drug related, and took her into custody.

“As the trooper was placing the seat belt on Harvey, she coughed in his face and stated, ‘I have the coronavirus and I hope you have it, too, now,’” Schuster wrote.

Harvey continued to cough on the trooper as she was transported to jail, police said. Police said she also urinated in the back seat of the patrol car.

She was held in the county jail on the outstanding warrants until Tuesday. After police consulted with the district attorney’s office, state police served a warrant on her requiring her to submit to a covid-19 test at Washington Hospital on Tuesday.

The results of the tests were not yet available, said state police spokesman Trooper Forrest Allison. The trooper involved was not required to be quarantined, Allison said.

Schuster said prosecutors will ask to have Harvey pay the cost of the test.