UPDATE: David Thomas was convicted by a Clark County Superior Court jury in January 2019 of attempted first-degree assault, second-degree assault, third-degree assault and a domestic violence court order violation, and was sentenced in March to 11.5 years in prison, court records show.
A transient man accused of stabbing a Vancouver police officer in the arm, punching another in the face and swinging at a third early Saturday morning made a first appearance in Clark County Superior Court.
David Thomas, 25, appeared Monday on suspicion of first-degree assault on an officer, third-degree assault on an officer and a domestic violence court order violation.
At about 3:50 a.m. Saturday, the officers responded to the Chevron station at 210 E. Mill Plain Blvd., for a call about a no-contact order violation, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Thomas’ former girlfriend, who has a restraining order against him, told police that she went to the area of 12th and Franklin streets to drop off a suitcase of his belongings. She did not intend to have contact with him, she said, but he got into her car and refused to get out. The woman threatened to call police, but Thomas still refused. She drove to the gas station, where she called police, according to a separate probable cause affidavit.
When the officers arrived, Thomas got out of the woman’s car and yelled, “Come on!” at them while walking away, clenching his fists and flexing. The officers attempted to detain Thomas, but he punched Officer Branden Schoolcraft in the face. The swing also hit Officer Sean Suarez and nearly hit Officer Kathryn Endresen, court records state.
The officers tackled Thomas to the ground and took him into custody. Afterward, Suarez realized he had been stabbed in the left arm with a pocketknife during the confrontation. The knife was found on the ground near them, according to court documents.
On Monday, Judge Bernard Veljacic set Thomas’ bail at $175,000. He will be arraigned May 26.
