March 14--In a last-minute plea deal, a mentally ill homeless woman charged with assault for allegedly grabbing and lifting an officer's baton in the air last year during a fatal police shooting on skid row will avoid jail time.
On Monday, prosecutors agreed to reduce Trishawn Cardessa Carey's felony resisting arrest charge to a misdemeanor and to drop the more serious charge -- assault with a deadly weapon against a police officer --if she agreed to three years' probation.
Carey, 35, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, whispered after accepting the plea.
"Thank you," she said. "Thank you, thank you."
As part of the deal, Carey was also ordered into a residential treatment program.
Carey's case has largely fallen into the shadow of the killing of Charly Keunang, a Cameroonian immigrant who was fatally shot by Los Angeles police on March 1, 2015.
The case drew massive, worldwide attention after someone posted a recording of the shooting on Facebook.
In the video, Carey picks up a police baton, which fell to the ground during the scuffle with Keunang, and lifts it into the air. Her actions, prosecutors said at the time, constituted assault.
During Monday's hearing on the eve of Carey's trial, Deputy Dist. Atty. Gregory Denton said the office had agreed to the deal and told Carey he hoped she got the treatment she needed.
marisa.gerber@latimes.com
Twitter: @marisagerber
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