Woman accused of threatening to kill people who were praying at Baton Rouge shelter

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — An investigation by the Baton Rouge Police Department into threats made against people who were praying and officers led to the arrest of a homeless woman.

Shenetta Funchess, 38, of Jackson, Miss., was charged with one count of hate crimes, two counts of threatening a public official, two counts of aggravated battery, one count of aggravated assault, one count of misrepresentation during booking, and one count of disturbing the peace.

Officers responded to the St. Vincent De Paul shelter on Convention Street around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 12, and looked into a report that an emotionally disturbed person was threatening people with a knife, according to the affidavit.

Two officers arrived and found someone who fit the description they were given.

BRPD said Funchess was seen “yelling threats to a group of people praying while using derogatory language toward them due to them being Christian.”

Police said she made threats to hurt those who were praying.

Funchess was told she was under arrest, and a knife was found during a search of a bag that she was carrying at the time.

A witness told police that she was threatening to kill those who were praying while holding a knife.

While on the way to a BRPD station, the woman said she wanted to “wrap and kill” the two officers in the vehicle and would stab them the next time she saw them, according to the affidavit.

One of the officers was spit on more than once by Funchess during transport, BRPD said.

They said in order to stop the battery, “ASR was deployed into the back seat.”

Police said she refused printing upon arrival at the station. She was later booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on the same day as her arrest.

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