Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – On the previous day, 33-year-old Jessica Marie Parker was taken into custody after incidents of spitting and kicking police officers who were attempting to remove her from UF Health Shands. She was reportedly doing laundry there despite having been banned from the premises.

Around 3:20 p.m. on September 14, officers from the Gainesville Police Department reacted to a call indicating that Parker was engaged in laundry activities at UF Health Shands Hospital (1515 SW Archer Road). Parker had previously been prohibited from the hospital in January 2025 and was apprehended on that occasion for refusing to depart the grounds.

According to the officer’s report, Parker initially declined to provide her identity but claimed to have been a recent patient at the facility. The hospital’s security informed the officer that she had been discharged two days prior and had no legitimate medical reason to be there.

When the officers moved to arrest her, Parker reportedly spat on one of them, resisted momentarily during handcuffing, and kicked another officer as they placed her in the police car. After ensuring Parker’s legs were properly inside for door closure, she allegedly spat in the face of the same officer once more.

Listed as residing at St. Francis House, Parker has been charged with two counts of battery against law enforcement and trespassing post-warning. Her record includes two non-violent felony and one violent misdemeanor convictions, with a completed state prison sentence after which she was freed in 2013. She is also facing a formal complaint for stealing a box of tampons. Parker’s prior arrest in January for a similar trespassing offense at UF Health Shands resulted in a $326 fine following a nolo contendere plea in March, which remains unpaid. Judge Jonathan Ramsey has set her bail at $20,500.

The articles detailing arrests derive from law enforcement department reports. The cited charges come from official arrest records and are mere allegations. All individuals are deemed innocent until confirmed guilty in a judicial setting.