The wife of a powerful International Olympic Committee vicepresident was arrested and charged with kneeing a police officer whostopped her for jaywalking.
Julie Pound, wife of Dick Pound of Canada, the chairman of theIOC's coordination panel for the Atlanta Games and the committee'stop marketing official, was released without bail shortly after beingcharged early Wednesday.
She faces a court hearing Aug. 26.
Officer Leanne Browning said the Pounds were jaywalking acrossWilliams Street downtown about 12:30 a.m. and refused repeatedinstructions to return to the curb.
The officer said Julie Pound used obscenities and walked off."At that point to prevent her from leaving the scene, I grabbed herarm and told her she was under arrest," Browning said in her report.
Pound again called her an obscene name "and kneed me in thegroin," Browning wrote. "J. Pound began screaming `Help me. Thisofficer is brutalizing me.'
"At that point I was able to get one handcuff on her, and sherefused to give me her other hand."
Pound "had an odor of alcohol on her breath and continued toact irrationally," the report said.
The report said Pound suffered a small scratch on her rightwrist, for which she refused treatment at Grady Hospital, andBrowning suffered a bruised inner thigh.
Pound was charged with refusal to comply with a police officer,obstruction, using abusive language and simple battery.
The report does not say what Dick Pound did during thealtercation.
Pound was unavailable for comment. Calls to his office were notimmediately returned.
Pound, a Montreal lawyer, heads the IOC's committees thatnegotiate TV rights and worldwide sponsorship deals.
While serving as chairman of the coordination commission, he hasperiodically criticized Atlanta Olympic organizers and city officialsfor depending too heavily on private financing of the centennialGames and allowing too much unauthorized merchandising to spring uparound the venues.
Associated Press
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