Shannen Doherty spent six hours in jail after cops busted her for drunken driving
TV witch Shannen Doherty is in a bubbling cauldron of toil and trouble -- cops say she was so wild
during her recent DUI bust, they had to tie her hands and legs behind her back to keep her from hurting anyone!

"While she was being fingerprinted, she nearly slugged the deputy," reveals Fannya Silberman, 20,
of Santa Barbara, Calif., who witnessed the actress' antics at the Ventura County Jail.

"Shannen demanded to be put in her own cell, which she was. After about 10 minutes she started
hyperventilating, so a deputy went in to check on her.

"That's when all hell broke loose. She started to hit one of the female deputies and two others
rushed in and physically took her down -- hard.

"They pushed her on her stomach to the floor to restrain her, and then hogtied her with her arms
and legs pulled behind her back. She was hysterical and totally out of control."

Sources tell Star that Doherty, 29, who plays good witch Prue Halliwell on the WB show Charmed,
was combative from the moment cops pulled her over.

Officers Dennis Ford and Tom Costigan say they became suspicious when they saw her Ford pickup
weaving across traffic on Highway 101 shortly before 3 a.m. Dec. 28.

When Doherty, who first rose to prominence for her portrayal of Jason Priestley's scheming twin sister
on Beverly Hills, 90210, failed a field sobriety test, she was booked on drunken-driving charges.

Ironically, Priestley had a hearing on his own drunk driving conviction the day before.

Dressed in a black tank top, jeans and a jacket, Doherty immediately began screaming and yelling
at the station house, telling people she was a big star. "Her hair was a rat's nest and she reeked of booze.
Her eyes were bright red. She looked like Jenna Bush," says eyewitness Silberman.

"When she came into the jail, she started going ballistic. She was crying and sobbing, and sat on the floor
with her head between her legs and her arms over her head, like she didn't want to be seen."

Doherty refused to take a Breathalyzer test, so deputies had to take her across the street to Community
Memorial Hospital, where she underwent a blood test for alcohol. When they brought her back a few
minutes later, she was in a rage.

"A deputy reached for her and she screamed: 'Don't you touch me! Don't lay a hand on me! I don't
appreciate this treatment, and I will sue you! I can talk to any magazine in the world and any TV show,
and I can tell them just how horrible you people are!'" Silberman recalls.

"The deputy told her: 'Just because you're famous, you're not going to get any special treatment.'
She looked shocked, dipped her head and turned around. She was like a puppy dog with her tail between her legs."

Later, officers asked if she'd ever been arrested.

"No!" Doherty barked back.

But Star readers know she was stretching the truth: As we've reported over the years, Doherty is no
stranger to the long arm of the law.

In 1992 she was arrested after brawling with another actress at a Beverly Hills nightclub.

Then, in 1996, she was ordered to pay a $5,400 fine after pleading no contest to a vandalism charge.
She was busted for allegedly throwing a bottle at a car outside a Los Angeles nightclub.
In 1997, she was sentenced to an anger management course as a result.

In the latest incident, Doherty languished in lockup until around 9 a.m., when her parents, Tom and Rosa,
arrived to bail her out. Doherty's father, who is blind, was silent while her mother sobbed.

"I can't believe they arrested her! How long is she going to stay in here like an animal?" her mom asked, sources say.

Doherty was released about six hours after her ordeal began.
She is scheduled to appear in Ventura County Superior Court Jan. 26.

A blood alcohol level of .08 is considered drunk in California. If hers is .08 or higher and she is convicted
of driving under the influence, Doherty could face a maximum penalty of six months in jail, six months
license suspension and court-ordered treatment.