Republic man with 30-year criminal record convicted on assault charges
A Republic man with a criminal record stretching back to 1979 was convicted of aggravated assault and other charges in a criminal case tried in Fayette County Court. James Simon Thompson, 54, rammed a car into a police cruiser in Redstone Township on March 9, 2008.
Redstone Township Officer Norman Howard made a traffic stop on Rollie Street, and he and Thompson got into a fight during the stop.
During the altercation, Thompson broke free from police, got into the driver’s seat of the car and then rammed the car of Luzerne Township police Chief Roy Mehalik, according to the charges.
The officers then fired several shots at Thompson as he fled the scene, according to charges filed in the case.
Assistant District Attorney J.W. Eddy prosecuted the case. Assistant Public Defender Michael J. Garofalo represented Thompson.
Judge Steve P. Leskinen will sentence Thompson at a later date.
The criminal conviction could impact a lawsuit Thompson filed against police last year over the incident.
Thompson claimed in the suit he fled from police because he was being assaulted – a claim rejected by jurors in his criminal trial.
Thompson also claimed an “unseen force” kept him from getting hit when police shot at him as he fled.
However, before the federal lawsuit proceeds, a judge will have to lift a stay on the matter. In December, Thompson asked the matter be put on hold because of his “severe mental illness.”