MARION, Ohio (WCMH) — A Marion man is facing a maximum sentence of more than 40 years in prison after being convicted of trying to kill a police officer.
A Marion County Common Pleas Court jury found Teddy Thomas III, 32, guilty on five felony counts:
- Attempted murder of a police officer
- Felonious assault on a police officer
- Burglary
- Domestic violence
- Inducing panic
Prosecuting Attorney Ray Grogan said the case stemmed from a Feb. 12, 2022 disturbance call at a Marion home. Thomas had “brutally” attacked a woman outside of her home, who then ran to her bedroom, hid her children in a closet and called 911.
Thomas then broke a window to follow the woman inside her home. When Marion police arrived at the house, Thomas tried to attack one of the officer’s heads with a machete. Grogan called the moment, captured on another officer’s body camera, chilling.
“Our pursuit of justice for Teddy Thomas’s victims sends a clear message … violence and lawlessness have no place here.”
After swinging the machete, Thomas ran away from the officers and barricaded himself in a room of the house. Grogan said the ensuing standoff took two hours before police eventually arrested him.
Thomas was already a registered violent offender in the state of Ohio. A judge previously convicted him of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault in 2009. Thomas served 10 years in prison before being released with supervision on parole.
The combined conviction on all five charges means Thomas could receive a maximum possible sentence of 41 years and six months in prison. Marion County Common Pleas Court records did not list a sentencing date for Thomas as of Thursday evening.
