Woman pleads not guilty to assaulting jail staff

A Polson woman, on probation stemming from a recent burglary conviction, is accused of assaulting Lake County Jail detention staff. Amber Michelle Parizeau, 28, entered a plea of not guilty in District Court in Polson Feb. 13 to assault on a peace or judicial officer.

According to charging documents, Parizeau was arrested for violating terms of her probation after she was sentenced in September of 2024 on the burglary charge. On Jan. 25, she was placed in isolation due to fighting with other inmates.

While in isolation, she allegedly began harming herself. Detention staff restrained her and the decision was made to transport her to the hospital. After her discharge, she refused to return to jail, threatened to harm herself again, and demanded that she be able to smoke a cigarette.

As staff attempted to secure Parizeau, she attempted to hit her own head, before she allegedly headbutted a detention officer twice. She then allegedly kicked the officer several times in the waist, groin, rib-cage and leg, landing several painful blows.

Parizeau then had to be readmitted to the hospital with new injuries. She was restrained again and fitted with a spit-hood and helmet for transport back to the jail, as she kept fighting with detention staff and harming herself.

Judge Jason Marks, who was filling in the vacancy in Department 2 of the 20th Judicial District, set a trial date of June 25. Parizeau remains in the Lake County Jail with bail totaling $50,000.