Officers involved in altercation
HODGES – A Franklin County man is behind bars on a $500,000 bond after assaulting a police officer and allegedly making threatening statements towards other law enforcement officials this weekend.
Michael Shane Brooks, 26, 896 Hindman Rd., Hodges, was arrested on multiple charges from two different police departments this past weekend, authorities said.
Charges stemming from incidents involving the Red Bay Police Department include third-degree theft of property, obstruction of governmental operations, disorderly conduct and making a terrorist threat, which is a Class C felony.
Charges stemming from incidents involving the Hodges Police Department include making a terrorist threat, second-degree assault of a police officer, first-degree theft of property, menacing, third-degree assault-domestic violence, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and unlawful possession of marijuana.
According to investigators with the Franklin County District Attorney’s Office, authorities in Red Bay were first alerted to Brooks around 3 p.m. Friday when they received a call from CVS Pharmacy in Red Bay stating Brooks was suspected of shoplifting.
Officials said CVS employees confronted Brooks who reportedly became irate and knocked over several displays in the store.
Officers with RBPD and the DA’s Office detained Brooks and arrested him at the scene, but investigators said during the transport to the Red Bay Jail, Brooks pulled a concealed knife, which caused officers to pull over to the side of the road and disarm him before continuing to the jail.
Red Bay Police Chief Janna Jackson said once Brooks was brought to the city jail, he began beating on the walls of his cell and attempted to damage the cameras.
According to Jackson, Brooks was on crutches from an injury he sustained prior to his arrest and he took apart the crutches and tried to use the exposed metal in the crutches as a weapon.
Jackson said Brooks was kept in the jail overnight and made several threatening statements to police officers about what he would do to them if he got out of jail.
Investigators said Brooks was transported to Hamilton Saturday morning for an outstanding warrant but he was released from custody in Hamilton later that day.
Investigators said Saturday night the Hodges Police Department received a domestic violence call where a woman had allegedly been assaulted, choked and thrown on the ground.
When an officer and a reserve officer from Hodges arrived on the scene, investigators said they were met by Brooks, who was wielding a shotgun.
Hodges Police Chief Mike Franklin said after some negotiations, the officer was finally able to take the shotgun away from Brooks and threw the weapon into the next room.
“After the suspect was disarmed, he got into an altercation with the officer and, after a struggle, took possession of the officer’s taser,” Franklin said. “He attempted to use the taser against the officer and threatened to kill him. The officer was eventually able to spray the suspect with mace and take him into custody.”
Officers from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office arrived to assist the officer and Brooks was arrested again and transported to the Franklin County Jail.
“Anytime you receive a domestic violence call, in my opinion, those can be the most dangerous calls because you don’t know the state of those involved or how they’re going to react,” Franklin said. “Our officers handled this situation in the best way possible to prevent serious or fatal injuries. This could have been a very bad situation, and even though one of our officers had some minor injuries, we’re glad no one was severely hurt.”
On Sunday when Brooks was allowed to use the phone at the jail, officials said he allegedly told the person he called that as soon as he got out of jail he was “going to Red Bay, Vina and Hodges to settle some scores.”
At a bond hearing on Monday, District Judge Paula McDowell set Brooks’ bond at $500,000 and he is still in custody at the Franklin County Jail.
