Tethered girl 'combative,' police say

Police tethered an intoxicated 15-year-old girl because she was "combative, aggressive and self-destructive," an officer testified Wednesday at a civil trial in Victoria.

Willow Kinloch is suing Victoria police for punitive damages, saying police assaulted herand breached her rights when they arrested her on May 6, 2005, for being drunk and left her tied up in a cell for more than three hours.

But Const. Brian Asmussen testified he helped wrestle Kinloch to the ground, handcuff and tether her because she attacked the prison matron in the cell.

A videotape of the incident shows Kinloch kicking off her shoe, which hit the matron's shin. The matron, Merle Edmonds, then grabbed the teen by the throat and pushed her against the wall before three other officers entered the cell to tether Kinloch.

The teenremained tethered on the ground of the padded cell for more than three hours before anyone checked on her.

The trial continues Thursday in Victoria.