A Dittmer man and woman are facing felony charges after the man allegedly assaulted a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputy with a screwdriver and the woman reportedly interfered with the arrest. The incident started when the deputy pulled over a vehicle that stopped in the driveway at the pair’s home, and the incident ended after a nearly five-hour standoff, authorities reported.
Nicholas Davis, 47, has been charged with first-degree assault on a law enforcement official, a class A felony punishable by 10 to 30 years or life in prison, and armed criminal action, an unclassified felony that carries a penalty of three to 15 years in prison, court documents show.
Amanda Davis, 45, has been charged with interfering with an arrest, a class E felony punishable by up to four years in prison, according to court records.
Before the two were taken into custody on July 7, they allegedly were involved in an altercation with the deputy. During the arrest, the deputy sprayed Nicholas Davis with OC spray, also known as pepper spray. In addition, a police dog bit Davis, and another officer fired bean bags at Davis, who was taken to an area hospital for treatment, the report said.
Bissell said Nicholas Davis was released from the hospital on July 11 and was transferred to the Jefferson County Jail, where he was being held without bail as of July 12.
Amanda Davis was being held without bail at the jail as of July 12.
According to the probable-cause statement in the case, a deputy was conducting a traffic stop on July 7, and the vehicle pulled into a driveway on Jones Creek Road in Dittmer. The Davises did not know the driver who pulled into their driveway, the report said.
After the vehicle stopped in the driveway, Nicholas Davis came out of the home holding a large flathead screwdriver and shouted at the deputy that a vehicle could not be stopped on private property. Davis approached the deputy, who told him numerous times to stop, but Davis reportedly continued to approach, so the deputy used the pepper spray on him, according to the report.
Davis then turned away and started walking back to the house, and the deputy grabbed him from behind. However, Davis allegedly spun around and swung the screwdriver at the deputy, striking the deputy in the chest with it, the report said.
The deputy told Nicholas Davis to drop the screwdriver, and he did, but then he reportedly ran toward the house. The deputy ran after Davis and stopped him at the door. However, Amanda Davis came out of the house and allegedly grabbed the deputy from behind, freeing Nicholas Davis. The pair then retreated into the home, the probable-cause statement said.
Negotiators, SWAT members and a deputy with a police dog were called to the home. The couple reportedly refused to come out of the house for nearly five hours, Eventually, though, Nicholas Davis came out, yelled at deputies, and ignored orders to show his hands and lie on the ground, so a SWAT member fired bean bags at him, striking him with three of the projectiles, the report said.
Deputies then tried to arrest Nicholas Davis, but he allegedly continued to struggle before he was bitten in the leg by the dog and apprehended, the report said.
Amanda Davis came out of the home and was arrested without further incident, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
Bissell said the driver of the vehicle, a 38-year-old Luebbering man, had no relationship to the Davises but was cited for failing to register a motor vehicle and failing to maintain financial responsibility.
The Luebbering man also was arrested on warrants from Franklin County for violating a protection order, not providing court order support and violating terms of his probation, Bissell said.