Tilburg woman arrested for using chokehold on cop

A 23-year-old woman was arrested in Tilburg just after midnight on Wednesday for assaulting a police officer. The Tilburg woman tried to prevent the arrest of her boyfriend by putting the officer in a chokehold and trying to poke her fingers into his eyes, the police said in a statement.

Around 00:05 the police responded to reports of young people in a car causing problems on Lannerstraat in Tilburg. When the officers addressed the people in the car, they immediately became obstinate. A 24-year-old man from Tilburg got out of the car and stepped right up to one police officer, ignoring the officer's request for him to step back. The officer pushed him back a little bit, and the woman became involved.

She shouted at the officer not to touch her boyfriend, and attacked him. She seized the officer's neck, blocking his airway, and tried to jab her fingers into his eyes. Only once they were both on the ground, did the officer manage to get his pepper spray out and fend the woman off.

The man and woman were both arrested. A third passenger, a 23-year-old man from Tilburg, was also arrested for swearing at the police and having some drugs on him. They are all in custody for further investigation.

The police emphasize that they do not tolerate any form of violence against police officers or any civil servant. "Those who use aggression or violence against an employee with a public duty, will be punished quickly and strictly", the police said.