Meridian officers, friend say mom threatened them with stun gun

Danielle K. Davis, 25, remained in the Ada County Jail on $250,000 bond Friday after a preliminary hearing on felony charges that she endangered her 4-year-old daughter and brandished a stun gun at police officers.

Three Meridian detectives and a friend testified at Friday's hearing before the judge ruled there was enough evidence to send the case to 4th District Court.

According to police, Davis met with the father of her child Feb. 17 in the parking lot of a Meridian Walgreens so she could visit with the 4-year-old girl. But Davis reportedly brandished and sparked a stun gun, then walked away with her daughter. The child's father reportedly tried to find her, then called police to report that Davis was possibly suicidal, had a knife and took the child without permission, police said.

Three Meridian police detectives located Davis and her daughter several hours later in the Wal-Mart on Fairview Avenue in Meridian, and all three gave similar accounts during Friday's hearing. One officer grabbed the little girl while the others made contact with Davis, whom they said lashed out with a stun gun, saying "not in front of my daughter," but did not injure them. Two of the detectives quickly put her on the ground and took her into custody, they said.

The little girl was "distraught, but not in tears," said Detective Cpl. Brian Lueddeke, who was holding the child throughout her brief struggle with the other detectives. He said he handed the child over to a family member.

The first witness for the prosecution was Dustin Millet, who said the child's father had asked him to talk to Davis because she was "upset and not giving the child back." He said Davis walked away from him and clearly didn't want to talk. He said she took out a stun gun and activated it, but he was not afraid of her. Questioned by the defense, he said he has known Davis for nine years and had never known her be violent.

The defense did not call any witnesses during the preliminary hearing.

Davis faces three felony charges of assault or battery against a law enforcement office, one charge of felony injury to a child and two charges of resisting officers.

This story was originally published April 1, 2016 at 7:24 PM with the headline "Meridian officers, friend say mom threatened them with stun gun."