Cops: After stealing bike, man tries to flee police
A Shirley man attempted to flee police and placed his hand on an officer’s service weapon as police tried to arrest him following the theft of a bicycle at Walmart, Riverhead Town police said.
Darrell W. Thomas, 34, faces a slew of charges after the Friday night incident, including resisting arrest and attempted criminal possession of a weapon, police said.
Mr. Thomas allegedly became combative when police approached him at the Hess gas station on Route 58 across the street from Walmart. He attempted to flee and as police tried to subdue him, he allegedly reached for an officer’s gun in an attempt to remove the weapon, police said. Mr. Thomas was arrested on six separate charges, police said.
The incident started with a report at 7 p.m. of a man having removed a BMX bicycle from Walmart without paying for it. Walmart security spotted Mr. Thomas heading toward Route 58 with the bike.
The responding officers were alerted to a man with a bike at the Hess Gas Station and found Mr. Thomas.
He was also charged with criminal possession of stolen property, petit larceny, obstructing governmental administration and unlawful possession of marijuana, police said.
He was held overnight for arraignment in Riverhead Justice Court, police said.
Online court records show Mr. Thomas was also arrested Feb. 1 by Suffolk County Police on a charge of first-degree criminal contempt for violating an order of protection and was due back in court March 25 for that case.
