A Tampa woman's unexpected trek along a busy interstate with a canine companion led to her arrest, as reported by the Florida Highway Patrol. Desire McPherson, 23, was apprehended on Friday morning after resisting a state trooper attempting to issue her a citation for unlawfully walking with her dog on I-275. Her encounter stemmed from a similar incident where McPherson received a verbal warning for the same violation, FOX 13 News detailed.
The incident unraveled near Busch Boulevard, where troopers found McPherson and her dog walking the highway's southbound shoulder. The FHP stated, "McPherson told troopers she was unaware that it was illegal to walk on the intestate," yet, they recognized her from the previous cautionary encounter. When the trooper began penning a citation for McPherson, she walked away and, upon refusal to comply, was detained and brought to the ground after becoming aggressive, WTSP reported.
McPherson is currently facing charges for resisting an officer without violence, and disobeying law enforcement. The safekeeping of her white dog, possibly named Duke, also fell under scrutiny as it is lodged at Animal Control pending identification. The FHP disclosed, "the dog, named Duke, has a chip," and they are investigating to confirm its ownership, according to the previously mentioned FOX 13 News report.
During the arrest, McPherson reportedly became "belligerent and combative" and "attempted to resist" as the trooper was guiding her back to the patrol vehicle, leading the officer to secure her against a concrete traffic barrier. Efforts to gain more information about the dog from McPherson yielded little success, leaving its fate in question should it remain unclaimed after three days, as highlighted by Tampa Bay 28.
