SOUTH FULTON, Ga. - Fulton County Sheriff's Deputy Bryon Thomas and his wife were arrested early Monday after an altercation with police officers at Harold's Ice Bar on Old National Highway escalated into a confrontation involving multiple law enforcement personnel and other individuals.
Officers were called out around 2:37 a.m. on Nov. 11 of the incident, when South Fulton Police officers responded to reports of a disturbance at the bar. According to arrest warrants obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta, officers found Thomas and several others inside the establishment in a fight. As officers attempted to disperse the crowd, Thomas allegedly refused repeated verbal commands to leave the area.
An officer, who tried to break up an altercation, reported that Thomas pushed him. The incident escalated when Thomas became argumentative and noncompliant, officers noted in the police report.
According to the affidavit, a corporal observed Thomas grabbing his arm while Hardy was attempting to arrest another individual. Officers had to use physical force to restrain Thomas as he continued to resist. Officers reported a strong odor of alcohol on Thomas's breath during the incident, which added a charge of public drunkenness.
Multiple officers on the scene were injured during the incident. One suffered a swollen lip during the altercation, and another an injured hand; both injuries were documented via body camera footage.
Thomas's wife, Antoinette Thomas, reportedly attempted to intervene by preventing officers from arresting her husband. According to the report, Antoinette grabbed officers’ arms during the struggle, resulting in a minor injury to her lip when officers restrained her. She was also arrested and charged with simple battery and obstruction.
Thomas stated to officers that he was attempting to intervene in a dispute involving his nephew when the incident had escalated. Following the altercation, Thomas allegedly asked officers to reconsider the charges due to his position as a sheriff's deputy, but he was nonetheless taken into custody. Both Bryon and Antoinette Thomas were transported to Southern Regional Hospital for medical clearance before they were booked at the South Fulton precinct.
Deputy Thomas was off duty at the time of the incident.
The Source: The details in this story come from arrest reports and arrest warrants supplied by the South Fulton Police Department.