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Bridgeport Police said the Sunday, May 2, arrest of Kevin Thomas, age 34, of Bridgeport, is under review after a video surfaced of the arrest in which police had to pepper spray Thomas in order to get him in the police cruiser.
The incident began around 8:31 p.m., Sunday, when officers responded to a domestic violence call in the 50th block of Maple Street, said Scott Appleby, Bridgeport's director of Emergency Management.
Once on the scene, officers learned the person who had called police had driven to another location.
When officers arrived at the second scene the complainant had to other people in their vehicle.
Officers began their preliminary investigation with the complainant. While conducting their investigation into the domestic violence incident one of the parties on-scene was detained due to probable cause for a larceny incident.
This party was identified later as Kevin Thomas, Appleby said.
While officers were placing Thomas in their vehicle, he began to resist arrest, and "began to kick and push his way out of the back seat of the vehicle while being combative with officers," Appleby said.
During the struggle, an officer was bitten by Thomas and another officer used pepper spray to help subdue him, he added.
Once under control, Thomas was given aid by medics on the scene for the pepper spray.
That's when police say Thomas became combative towards paramedics and resisted medical assistance. EMTs then administered a sedative in order to safely provide transport to Bridgeport Hospital, Appleby said
At the hospital, Thomas yet again began to be combative towards medical staff and had to be sedated and restrained, police said.
Thomas was later arrested and charged with:
- Assault of public safety personnel
- Interfering with an officer
- Breach of peace
- Larceny
Bond was set at $20,000 for the resisting charges and $1,200 for the larceny charge.
On Tuesday, May 4, Bridgeport officers arrested Thomas again after being called to perform a welfare check/911 hang-up from a woman who requested police for an unknown party out of control at her location, Appleby said.
The individual “party” was identified as Thomas.
The woman reported that he was destroying the house and possibly has garden tools and that he was “breaking things up."
When officers arrived they found that Thomas had left the scene.
Thomas was observed in the area soon after and officers attempted to stop him, but he fled on foot.
The area was canvassed, and he was found in a wooded area behind a home on Hastings Street.
Thomas was handcuffed and taken into custody. Initially, Thomas resisted getting into the rear of the patrol car.
"However, officers spoke for a while and we were able to convince Thomas to get into the vehicle on his own without incident," Appleby said.
He was then arrested and charged with:
- Criminal mischief
- Resisting arrest/interfering with a police officer
- Reckless endangerment
Bond was set at $5,000.
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