Rockford, Ill. — A 28-year-old woman on suicide watch in the mental-health unit of Winnebago County Jail refused to surrender her clothing and hid in the corner of her cell.
In response, an officer fired a pepperball launcher into the cell: a high-pressure air gun that propels projectiles containing chemical irritants. Three pepperballs struck the woman’s foot, broke apart and filled the small space with a burning cloud as she tried to wash herself off in the sink, according to records obtained from the county.
When the woman still would not comply, the officer fired two more rounds into the cell, followed by two bursts of pepper spray. The officer then fired three more pepperballs that struck her leg and backside, records show. Officers entered the cell and restrained her…