Dubai Police have denied that an American woman, questioned after a disagreement over rental fees, was arrested for yelling at car hire staff.
Reports in the US claimed that Tierra Allen, who has more than 180,000 followers on TikTok, was detained after screaming at staff at a car rental company.
Dubai Police, in a statement issued to The National, said an American woman was detained after she was accused of 'defaming an employee'.
“The Dubai Police General Command firmly denies allegations made in some stories circulating in the media that an American woman was arrested merely for 'yelling' in public,” a Dubai Police representative said.
“The reports present a completely distorted picture of the case.
“Dubai Police received a complaint from a car rental office, accusing her of slandering and defaming an employee amidst a dispute over car rental fees.
“The individual was questioned as per legal procedures and subsequently released pending the resolution of ongoing legal proceedings between her and the car rental office.”
Under Article 426 of the UAE's Federal Decree-Law No 31/2021, the punishment for publicly insulting another person in a way that may injure the victim’s honour or dignity include a possible sentence of up to a year in prison or a fine of up to Dh20,000.
Ms Allen, known on social media as ‘Sassy Trucker’, posts videos of herself and her lorry, and offers advice for women on how to dress and eat healthily while on the road.