Former Glendale Heights woman gets four-year prison sentence for biting police officer

A former Glendale Heights resident was sentenced Oct. 24 to four years in prison for biting a police officer as she was being arrested, authorities said.

On Aug. 24, a jury found Tyler Russell, 27, guilty of one count of aggravated battery to a police officer and three counts of aggravated battery following a three-day-long trial, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

About 9:34 a.m. June 20, 2020, Glendale Heights police responded to a call in the 500 block of Gregory Avenue for a report of two people arguing in a parking lot. Upon their arrival, police found Russell seated in the driver’s seat of a vehicle. Police noticed an odor of alcohol coming from the car and saw two opened beer cans in the cup holders of the car as well as an opened case of beer, according to the release.

Police asked Russell to exit the car and after doing so, she continued to walk away from the officers. One of the officers ordered Russell to return to the car. After she complied, police attempted to place Russell under arrest at which time she physically resisted and bit one of the officers in the right bicep causing substantial injury to the officer, according to the release.

The officer was transported to a local hospital for medical attention and has since recovered from his injury, according to the release.

“Day in and day out, our police officers respond to calls not knowing what they will find once they get there,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. “It is an extremely difficult and dangerous job, and in DuPage County we are extremely lucky to have the best of the best ready and willing to protect us.”