Police: Knife-Wielding Woman Taken Down by Pepperball

Police arrested a woman Saturday in Fairfield on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, brandishing a weapon, criminal threats, and resisting arrest, police said.

Officers arrested Fairfield resident Breanna Palaganas, 23, after responding at about 7 p.m. to reports alleging she was brandishing a knife and whip at residents in the 2400 block of Peach Tree Drive, according to police.

Police said Palaganas had mental health concerns that were adding to the situation.

Officers tried to detain Palaganas on a second-story porch landing when they arrived, police said. But she barricaded herself in an apartment, according to police.

She began throwing things out of the apartment when officers tried to reason with her, police said. Palaganas fled into an attic crawl space when officers were able to get inside the apartment, according to police.

Officers evacuated neighboring apartments because Palaganas posed a threat to others if she was able to access other apartments, police said.

Sgt. Steve Trojanowski said officers used a pepperball gun to subdue and arrest Palaganas. A pepperball gun shoots plastic balls that release pepper spray in powder form, Trojanowski said.

No one was injured in the incident, police said.

--Bay City News Service, photo courtesy of Fairfield Police Department