Thursday, February 17, 2022 - A Vian man is facing a pair of felony charges that could land him in prison for up to four years.
Jeremy Daniel Thomas, 42, was charged Jan. 30 with malicious injury to property (over $1,000) and mistreating a police dog, both felonies. He was also charged with resisting an officer, a misdemeanor that could net him another year behind bars.
Thomas was released on $8,000 bond. His next court appearance is set for 9 a.m. April 6 before Judge Kyle Waters.
According to a report, on Jan. 30, a Sequoyah County Sheriff’s deputy had removed a patron (Thomas) from a local bar earlier in the night for allegedly sexually assaulting several women. The deputy stated that he escorted Thomas out of the bar after the alleged assaults, but the man returned to the location later and was caught stabbing holes in the tires of vehicles parked there. The man then ran into woods east of the bar.
A bar patron identified Thomas as the perpetrator and the deputy reportedly found blood on one of the damaged tires.
Only one of the alleged assault victims in the bar chose to press charges against Thomas.
When officers went to Thomas’ address, no one answered, but a deputy looked through the living room window and spotted a green T-shirt with what appeared to be blood on it next to several alcoholic beverages.
After knocking on the residence’s north bedroom window, deputies could hear a male voice mumbling from inside. Further knocks prompted Thomas, who reportedly had several minor lacerations on his arms and face, to come to the front door.
When deputies attempted to handcuff Thomas, he began to struggle and officers had to force him to the ground. Once at the Sequoyah County Detention Center, Thomas reportedly continued to ignore commands and was placed into the restraint chair.
The deputy who drove Thomas to the detention center reported that the suspect maliciously tormented his K-9 officer, Raven, during the drive. A review of body camera footage showed Thomas screaming at Raven and banging against her kennel. Raven was barking and aggressively scratching and biting her kennel to get at Thomas and whimpering as if she were in pain. Thomas continued aggravating the K-9 even after the deputy warned that he could be charged for it.
Court records show Thomas was convicted in Colorado on drug and weapons charges in 2007 and forgery in 2013.
Lindsie Dyer, Staff Writer
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