April 17, 2016
A Delaware woman is accused of slapping a police officer while highly intoxicated.
Authorities say Noni A. Cottingham, 44, was being tended to by state police due to her drunken behavior around 2:40 a.m. Saturday on the 200 block of Rehoboth Avenue in Rehoboth Beach.
When local law enforcement showed up, state troopers were trying to convince Cottingham to get into a car driven by her mother so she could get home safely, police say.
But the Rehoboth Beach resident began arguing with her mom, becoming agitated and loud and causing another person to call and complain about a fight in the area, according to authorities.
When an officer told Cottingham to lower her voice, she responded by slapping him on the chest with two open palms and instructing him to shut up, police say.
After a brief struggle, she was brought into custody. While handcuffing her, officers say Cottingham's face struck a vehicle, causing a small laceration on her lip.
Cottingham has been charged with offensive touching of a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. She was jailed at Sussex Correctional Institution on $2,500 secured cash bail after being arraigned.
