An Arizona Superior Court judge has stepped down from the bench following a disturbing incident in which she was allegedly caught urinating in public just steps away from the courthouse where she presided over cases.
Prescott police officers responded to a call around 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 4 after multiple witnesses reported seeing a woman relieving herself near the intersection of Montezuma and Gurley Street.
The location sits on the same block as Courthouse Plaza, where the judge worked.
The woman in question was identified as Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Pro Tempore Kristyne Schaaf-Olson.
Bodycam footage obtained by Fox News Digital captured the moment officers arrived on scene.
The video footage shows Schaaf-Olson pulling up her pants before quickly sitting down on a nearby bench.
As the responding officer approached, he can be heard saying on camera that the scene was “disgusting.”
When officers attempted to identify Schaaf-Olson, the bodycam video reveals her struggling to spell her own name correctly.
The judge appeared to have difficulty communicating with the officers during the initial encounter.
Shortly after officers began questioning Schaaf-Olson, her husband Jason Olson arrived at the scene.
Jason Olson serves as the parks and recreation manager for the Town of Chino Valley.
Upon arriving, Jason Olson immediately attempted to pull his wife away from the officers.
He repeatedly refused multiple orders from police to step back from the situation.
When Schaaf-Olson asked why she was being questioned, the officer responded directly.
He stated that he had just witnessed her vomiting and urinating while exposing herself to several people in the area.
Jason Olson disputed the officer’s account, insisting that his wife was not the person involved in the incident.
Despite the officer’s firsthand observations, he continued to deny that Schaaf-Olson had committed any offense.
As Jason Olson continued resisting police commands and refusing to step back, officers made the decision to physically restrain him.
The bodycam footage shows the officer throwing him to the ground.
The officer can be heard telling Jason Olson to get on the ground, using explicit language.
Jason Olson protested that he was not doing anything wrong as officers worked to restrain him.
Multiple officers responded to assist in subduing Jason Olson.
The bodycam audio captures an officer calling for backup, stating they were fighting as several officers worked together to handcuff him.
Schaaf-Olson received a citation for urinating or defecating in public, which is classified as a misdemeanor offense in Arizona.
During the encounter, the video shows her identifying herself to officers by her judicial title, stating, “That’s fine. I want to let you know, my name is Judge Kristyne Olson.”
The bodycam footage also captured Schaaf-Olson struggling to sign the citation document.
Officers had to repeatedly direct her to sign on the screen in the correct location.
Jason Olson was issued citations for resisting arrest, interfering with a crime scene investigation, and obstruction of government operations.
All three charges stem from his actions during the Oct. 4 incident.
Just days after the incident, Yavapai County Superior Court confirmed that Schaaf-Olson had submitted her resignation from the bench.
Her resignation became effective on Oct. 31.
In a statement released on October 6, Schaaf-Olson explained her decision to resign, Fox News outlined.
She said, “My resignation comes after careful consideration of current physical, medical and family circumstances.”
Schaaf-Olson added in her statement, “The Yavapai community deserves and has judges who are steadfast in their commitment to serving Yavapai County, considering current events in my life, I believe it would be difficult to honor this commitment.”
“I have therefore decided to resign.”
Legal proceedings for both Schaaf-Olson and her husband are moving forward.
Schaaf-Olson’s pre-trial conference is scheduled for Dec. 16, while Jason Olson’s pre-trial conference is set for Nov. 18.
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