Police photo of Bill Thomas.
Bill Thomas, 56, of 252 State St., Batavia, is charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and menacing police following a standoff with police this morning at his residence.
Here's a recap of the incident from a press release issued by Investigating Officer Peter Flanagan:
At 4 a.m. Batavia Police received a call for a domestic dispute on State Street in the city. Once initial officers arrived on scene, they were met at the door by a family member. The officer then observed Bill Thomas moving toward the door, very quickly, with a knife in his hand. He was holding the knife in a threatening manner and the officer felt that he was going to use the knife on him or the family member.
The officer and family member retreated outside. The suspect then closed the door and retreated upstairs. Officers were unable to make contact with the suspect and the Emergency Response and Hostage Negotiation teams were alerted. A family member came to the scene and was able to make contact with the suspect through an open window.
The suspect came downstairs but then retreated back upstairs. A short time later, the suspect came back downstairs and would not show the officer his hands and was not following police orders. The suspect started to move toward a closet and the stairs and a taser was deployed.
The suspect was placed in custody and transported to police headquarters. He was then arraigned in Batavia City Court and jailed. Batavia PD was assisted at the scene by the county Sheriff's Office and State Police.
Bail was not mentioned in the press release.
