FAYETTEVILLE -- A Fayetteville man who shot at police serving a warrant pleaded guilty to battery and other charges in Washington County Circuit Court on Monday.
Lionel Delmond Thomas pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree battery of a law enforcement officer, simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, unlawful use of a communication device, possession of promethazine with intent to deliver and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. He was sentenced to a total of 20 years in prison by Circuit Judge Mark Lindsay.
Thomas, 25, of 1829 W. Deane St., was arrested Sept. 13, 2019, after police said he fired two shots at officers trying to search his home, according to a preliminary arrest report. Thomas told police he didn't know he was shooting at officers.
Officers from the Police Department's Emergency Response Team went with Springdale police officers to search the house. The report said investigators with the 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force had information on drug trafficking and firearms at the home and a "no knock" warrant was obtained.
Police broke a bedroom window, yelled, "Police, search warrant," and two shots were fired.
Three officers were near the window. One bullet passed within inches of one officer's head, according to the report.
No one was injured in the shooting.
The officers saw a man in the bedroom but didn't see that he had a gun, according to the report. The man ran from the bedroom, and officers who were already in the house arrested him. He was later identified as Thomas.
Thomas said the sound of the window breaking woke him up. He said he was sleeping with a handgun in his bed because the house had been broken into several days before, according to the report. Thomas said he reached for the pistol, moved against a wall and fired at the side of the window.
Thomas said he heard shouts of "Shots fired, shots fired," and realized it was the police. He said he ran to the other bedroom, but it was locked.
Video from the officers' body cameras showed the officers "breached the window and gave clear and concise verbal announcements including 'police' and 'search warrant,' and the shots were fired after those announcements," according to the report.
Thomas was originally arrested in connection with attempted capital murder, but that charge was reduced to attempted battery as part of a plea bargain.