CF woman sentenced for stealing truck, kicking deputies
Dec. 3—EAU CLAIRE — A Chippewa Falls woman will spend 110 days in jail for stealing a pickup truck from a town of Seymour residence while intoxicated and then kicking two Eau Claire County Sheriff's deputies while she was in their custody.
Jenny F. Burke, 49, 6092 Highway F, pleaded no contest recently in Eau Claire County Court to felony counts of operating a motor vehicle without the owner's consent and battery to a law enforcement officer, and a misdemeanor count of third-offense drunken driving.
Three felony counts of bail jumping, a felony count of battery to a law enforcement officer and a misdemeanor count of resisting an officer were dismissed but considered at sentencing by Judge Jon Theisen.
Burke was placed on probation for three years. As conditions of probation, Burke cannot have contact with the victims and must maintain absolute sobriety. She must also undergo an alcohol and drug assessment and any other recommended programming or treatment.
Burke was fined $4,336. Her driver's license was revoked for 30 months.
According to the criminal complaint:
Deputies received a report at 5:45 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, that a GMC Sierra had just been stolen from a residence on Tower Drive and was being driven eastbound on Tower Drive.
The truck's owner said he was inside his residence when he heard his dog barking. The man looked outside and saw someone driving away in his truck.
A deputy saw the stolen truck driving near the Seymour Town Hall. He activated his emergency lights and siren and pulled the driver over.
Burke was identified as the driver. She was taken into custody and agreed to answer questions.
Burke said she did not know who owned the truck. She said she was walking in the area and noticed the keys were in the truck's ignition. So she decided to start the truck and drive away. She admitted she did not have permission to drive the vehicle.
The deputy could smell a strong odor of intoxicants coming from Burke. She said she had consumed a bottle of wine and talked about buying alcohol at a gas station.
Burke was transported to the Seymour Fire Station to perform field sobriety tests, which she failed. She was placed under arrest for drunken driving.
When Burke was being placed in the back of a squad car, she kicked a deputy in the thumb. The deputy felt a pop in his thumb, which caused sharp, radiating pain.
Burke was taken to HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital for a blood draw. While there, she kicked a second deputy in the leg, which caused pain and bruising.
When she was being escorted back to a squad car, she kicked a deputy in the leg multiple times. This was the same deputy she previously kicked in the thumb.
A records check showed Burke had previously been convicted of drunken driving in Chippewa County in February 1993 and January 1996.
At the time of her arrest, Burke was free on bond for three pending felony cases in both Chippewa and Eau Claire counties.
