WBPD officer injured during scuffle with suspected drunken driver

WILKES-BARRE — A man from Nanticoke is facing felony assault charges alleging he initiated a struggle with a Wilkes-Barre police officer who suffered a serious knee injury early Saturday morning.

David Thomas, 29, of East Grand Street, shoved a city police officer during a traffic stop for drunken driving in the 200 block of South Main Street just before 1 a.m., according to court records.

As the officer began to chase Thomas who ran to his Chevrolet Camaro, the officer’s knee gave out but managed to stun Thomas with a Taser, court records say.

Thomas was arraigned by District Judge Thomas Malloy of Wilkes-Barre on charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, evading arrest, resisting arrest, driving under the influence and disorderly conduct. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $25,000 bail.

A breath test allegedly revealed Thomas had an alcohol level of .175 percent.

An adult driver in Pennsylvania is considered legally intoxicated with an alcohol level of .08 percent.

According to the criminal complaint:

Police received information of a domestic disturbance involving a man driving a silver Chevrolet Camaro and a woman walking in the area of South Main and Wood streets just after 12:30 a.m. Saturday. Police later learned the man driving the Chevrolet was Thomas and he was arguing with his mother who was walking.

As an officer conducted a traffic stop of the Chevrolet, Thomas approached the officer and got too close.

The officer shoved Thomas who, the complaint alleges, shoved the officer.

The officer took a step back to gain leverage and doing so, the officer’s knee gave out, the complaint says.

Thomas ran to his vehicle but the injured officer stunned Thomas with a Taser, the complaint alleges, as a second officer arrived on scene.

After Thomas sobered up, he told police he attended a bazaar with his mother and had too much to drink, the complaint says.

Thomas claimed he could not find his mother at the bazaar and found her walking when she refused to get into his vehicle.