Katrina Kitzman (Photo courtesy: Outagamie County Jail)
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The motorist accused of striking an Appleton police officer with a vehicle while having a blood alcohol level of .218 — more than twice the legal limit — pleaded not guilty Monday.
Katrina Kitzman, 21, faces seven counts, including recklessly endangering safety, hit and run involving injury and causing injury while under the influence.
No trial date was set. She returns to court May 6 for a pre-trial conference.
According to the complaint, police were called to a disturbance in a church parking lot Nov. 15. One of the women involved, later identified as Kitzman, got into a vehicle.
“Off. Wells observed the PT Cruiser quickly accelerate forward squealing the tires and drive east and then north and back west around the parking lot and was now driving at a high rate of speed back towards the females and a large group of people who were now walking away. Off. Wells reports there was a clear exit path for the PT Cruiser to exit the parking lot if the driver had exited to the south and could of avoided all the people in the parking lot. It was clear that the driver was attempting to circle back around the parking lot and attempting to strike the females with her vehicle at a high rate of speed,” the complaint states.
Wells drew his gun on the vehicle and commanded it to stop.
“The PT Cruiser then made a quick left turn towards Off. Reader, Off. Allen, and Lt. Goodin who were standing near the driver’s side of the vehicle. Off. Wells reports he was positioned on the passenger side,” the complaint states. “(Officer Reader) noticed Off. Allen get struck by the front driver’s side of the vehicle and fall to the ground.”
Allen suffered injuries to both ankles, feet and legs. He was treated at a hospital and released.
Other officers chased after Kitzman, with speeds reaching 75 mph in a 25 mph zone, before she was stopped. The complaint does not contain comments from Kitzman about the incident.
“She was transported to the APD Sally Port by Off. Looker. During this time Katrina was yelling and acting oddly,” the complaint states. “Katrina was incoherent in her ramblings throughout the duration of his contact with her.”
A preliminary breath test showed a BAC of .218, above the legal driving limit of .08. A blood draw was also performed, but no results are cited in the complaint.
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