Woman claiming to have COVID blows in deputy’s face, gets assault charge, NC cops say

A North Carolina woman was charged with assault after she allegedly blew into a sheriff deputy’s face and said she had COVID-19.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said the incident happened Sunday evening as Jasmine Louise McClain, 27, was being booked into jail.

“While being processed into the jail, McClain is accused of blowing into the face of the processing officer twice after admitting she had tested positive for Covid-19 eight days earlier,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release. “She was charged with assault on a government official.”

The sheriff’s office didn’t say whether McClain has actually tested positive for the coronavirus.

McClain, who lives in the Lincoln County community of Iron Station, was in police custody because she was identified as a suspect in a stabbing.

Earlier that day, deputies responded to a call about a man who had been stabbed in the chest. Officials say McClain “had already left the scene but returned a short time later while deputies were still there.”

The man who was stabbed, Marcus McDowell, was taken to the hospital, officials said.

In addition to assault on a government employee, McClain was charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, according to the sheriff’s office.

Lincolnton is about 35 miles northwest of Charlotte.