POCATELLO — A 44-year-old local man was charged with a felony Sunday after police say he spit on a detention deputy at the Bannock County Jail.
Levi Miles Thomas, of Pocatello, faces one count of propelling bodily fluid at certain personnel following the incident.
Pocatello police were dispatched to the 300 block of East Center Street for the report of a disturbance around 1:25 p.m. Sunday where they located Thomas standing with one shoe on, according to a police report the Idaho State Journal obtained Monday.
Police officers asked Thomas if he needed assistance and he replied that he had cut his foot and needed an ambulance, police said.
Thomas told the officers that he drank half of a bottle of vodka and several beers and then he removed various items from his pockets and threw them on the ground, according to police.
As an ambulance arrived on the scene, Thomas asked the officers if they would place him in handcuffs so that he would not hurt anyone, police said.
Thomas began yelling at the ambulance personnel and repeatedly told the officers that he was a rapper, police said. The officers eventually placed him in protective custody and transported him to the Bannock County Jail in Pocatello to sober up, police said.
At the jail, Thomas spit on the face of a Bannock County Sheriff’s Office detention deputy while being led inside the jail, police said.
Thomas was subsequently charged with felony battery on a correctional officer for the spitting incident and booked into the jail.
Thomas appeared in front of 6th District Magistrate Judge David Hooste for an arraignment hearing Monday, during which his bond was set at $25,000.
Prosecutors on Monday filed a motion to change the initial charge against Thomas from felony battery on certain personnel to felony propelling bodily fluid at certain personnel. Thomas will be back in court on Tuesday for an arraignment hearing on the new charge.
If convicted of the propelling bodily fluid at certain personnel charge, Thomas faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.
The Idaho State Journal invites you to take part in the community
conversation. But those who don't play nice may be uninvited.
Don't post comments that are off topic, defamatory, libelous,
obscene, racist, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. We
may remove any comment for any reason or no reason. We encourage
you to report abuse, but the decision to delete is ours. Commenters
have no expectation of privacy and may be held accountable for
their comments. Comments are opinions of the author only, and do
not reflect the opinions or views of Idaho State Journal.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
The Idaho State Journal invites you to take part in the community conversation. But those who don't play nice may be uninvited. Don't post comments that are off topic, defamatory, libelous, obscene, racist, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. We may remove any comment for any reason or no reason. We encourage you to report abuse, but the decision to delete is ours. Commenters have no expectation of privacy and may be held accountable for their comments. Comments are opinions of the author only, and do not reflect the opinions or views of Idaho State Journal.