Plea deal reached in Wal-Mart store scuffle case in Kennett, Missouri

By JIM SALTER, Associated Press Writer

KENNETT, MO (AP) -- A black school teacher charged with assaulting white police officers, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace has agreed a plea deal with prosecutors convicting her of two misdemeanor counts.

The deal announced Friday night means 24-year-old Heather Ellis will avoid a felony conviction for her part in a January 2007 scuffle at a Missouri Wal-Mart.

Ellis agreed to plead guilty to resisting arrest and peace disturbance. Prosecutor Morley Swingle dropped two felony counts of assault on a law officer.

She will be placed on unsupervised probation for a year, must serve four days of shock jail time and must attend at least two hours of anger management classes.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)