Taser used to subdue suspect
Armed suspect unharmed in self- defense action

Suspect William David Thomas sits surrounded by law officers after being subdued with a taser last Thursday, May 31, in downtown Ellijay.
Photo by John W. Peeler
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A Gilmer County deputy had to deploy his taser weapon last Thursday afternoon to subdue a suspect who was reaching for a loaded weapon. Neither the deputy nor the suspect were injured during the exchange.

According to Gilmer County Sheriff Stacy Nicholson, the Gilmer County 911 center received a call from William David Thomas, 41, of Ellijay, who made threats and said he was armed and “looking for a shootout.”

The sheriff said the 911 operators “did a professional and commendable job” tracking down the relevant information on Thomas and relaying it to law enforcement officers.

A “be on look out” or BOLO was issued for Thomas and his vehicle which was spotted heading towards the roundabout from Hwy. 52 West. With Ellijay Police officers and Gilmer County deputies in pursuit, the downtown roundabout was secured and Thomas stopped.

As officers approached the vehicle, they noticed a holster on the the suspect’s side and a pistol that was within reach of Thomas. As Thomas moved his hands towards the weapon, the deputy, whose name was not released, deployed his taser and subdued the suspect. He was then taken into custody.

Officers recovered two loaded pistols from Thomas. He has been charged with four counts of misdemeanor obstruction of an officer and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The sheriff said, “This is the first time we have used the taser on a suspect. From all accounts, it worked perfectly. Based on Mr. Thomas’ state of mind and the fact that he had two loaded handguns, this prevented possible injuries to my deputies and to Mr. Thomas.”

A taser works as a neuromuscular incapacitator by delivering a dose of electricity in the amount of 50,000 volts and between .002 and .004 amps. It is the policy of the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Department that all officers who carry a taser must first experience the results of being subdued by the weapon. Department personnel, including Nicholson, went through the training and experiencing the results of the device in April of this year.

In a recent interview with the Times-Courier, Nicholson said, “It basically jams the nervous system while it is being employed.”