FORSYTH — The defendant who slashed tires on 11 vehicles in a Forsyth hotel parking lot and then resisted arrest and threatened to kill the cops confronting him has been sentenced to 24 months probation.
Michael E. Knowles took a deal negotiated by defense attorney Steve Jones and pleaded guilty to the aggravated battery of a police officer. Further charges of resisting police, criminal damage, violating an order of protection and driving under the influence of drugs were dismissed as part of the deal by Judge Lindsey Shelton.
A sworn affidavit filed by Macon County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Drake Lambdin said the offenses date to around 2:45 a.m. March 16 in the parking lot of Homewood Suites. Knowles, 35, was described as riding around the lot honking his horn and screaming profanities.
Lambdin said Knowles had refused to get out of his pickup truck after being stopped by police shortly after fleeing the hotel lot. When he accidentally unlocked his driver’s door, deputies seized their opportunity and won a tug-of-war to drag him out of the vehicle as he continued to resist before being shot with a stun gun.
“After Knowles was secured in handcuffs, he stated ‘Take the guns off and the Taser, I’ll kill you; I’m a (expletive) black belt in jiu-jitsu and will kill all you (expletives),’” Lambdin quoted the defendant yelling at police.
“Knowles was then placed in the rear of (a squad car) where he began kicking the windows and was eventually (pepper) sprayed.”
Police later found a carpet knife which Knowles had used to slash the tires on vehicles in the hotel lot. Deputies also discovered that a woman staying at the hotel had an active order of protection against Knowles.
The defendant had appeared in court April 3 and, in addition to probation, the judge also ordered him to undergo substance abuse and mental health evaluations and complete any “recommended treatment.”
The judge further ordered Knowles to pay $2,415 in restitution, pay $250 to have his DNA added to a criminal database maintained by the State Police and to have no contact with the woman named in the order of protection.
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Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid