By By Sharon White/The Meridian Star
Feb. 23, 2001
A Lauderdale County Justice Court judge has dismissed an assault charge filed against Richard Wayne Thomas, accused of striking a rural mail carrier in January.
The case stemmed from a complaint filed by rural mail carrier Tammy Parker.
Parker told Lauderdale County authorities that Thomas slapped her across the chest with a letter Dec. 2 when she accidentally delivered mail to the wrong address in in the Villa Plantation subdivision, off Cotton Gin Road in the Topton community.
She pressed charges of simple assault with the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department, resulting in the arrest of 22-year-old Thomas.
Tim Weisend, postal inspector in charge of the investigation said at the time of the incident his investigation "revealed that Mr. Richard Wayne Thomas punched our employee in the chest while she was in the process of performing her duties delivering U.S. mail."
Weisend had said the charge would be handled as a state misdemeanor.
Sharon White is a staff writer at The Meridian Star. E-mail her at swhite@themeridianstar.com.