South Fulton, Georgia – Bryon Thomas, a Fulton County Sheriff’s Deputy, and his wife were arrested early Monday after an interaction with police officers at Harold’s Ice Bar on Old National Highway turned into a fight involving many law enforcement officials and others.
Officers were dispatched to the scene at about 2:37 a.m. on November 11th, when South Fulton Police officers responded to reports of a disturbance at the pub. According to arrest warrants acquired by FOX 5 Atlanta, officers discovered Thomas and several people engaged in a brawl inside the establishment. As cops sought to separate the crowd, Thomas allegedly refused to leave despite repeated verbal commands.
An officer who attempted to break up a fight said that Thomas pushed him. According to the police report, Thomas became combative and noncompliant, which exacerbated the situation.
According to the affidavit, a corporal saw Thomas grasp his arm while Hardy was attempting to arrest another person. Officers had to use physical force to detain Thomas, who continued to resist. Officers noticed a significant stench of alcohol on Thomas’ breath during the altercation, which led to a charge of public intoxication.
Several officers on the site were hurt during the event. During the confrontation, one person had a swollen lip and another hurt their hand; both injuries were caught on body camera footage.
Thomas’ wife, Antoinette Thomas, allegedly attempted to intervene by preventing cops from detaining her husband. According to the report, Antoinette grabbed officers’ arms during the battle, causing minor lip damage as they restrained her. She was detained and charged with simple assault and obstruction.
Thomas told investigators that he was attempting to intercede in a quarrel with his nephew when the situation escalated. Following the altercation, Thomas allegedly urged officers to reconsider the charges based on his position as a sheriff’s deputy, but he was nevertheless arrested. Both Bryon and Antoinette Thomas were taken to Southern Regional Hospital for medical clearance before being booked into the South Fulton precinct.
Deputy Thomas was not on duty at the time of the event.
