Randall Lee Battles of Sallisaw, 47, is facing charges of assault and battery upon a police officer and public intoxication stemming from a May 8 incident near Brushy.
Sequoyah County Sheriff's Deputy Travis Gabbert reported at about 11:45 p.m. on May 8 he was dispatched to Brushy Road in reference to an intoxicated man in a car, with children, in the road. When Gabbert arrived he saw a man, later identified as Battles, standing in the door of a white van. The man looked like he had been pepper sprayed, Gabbert reported. There were three children in the van and Vian Officer Dennis Thomas was about 30 feet away, bent over, and it appeared that he too had been sprayed with pepper spray, Gabbert reported. Thomas told Gabbert that Battles had assaulted him.
While speaking to Battles, Gabbert noticed a strong smell of alcohol. After being requested several times to get on the ground, Battles refused, and Gabbert had to force Battles onto the ground and handcuff him.
Gabbert reported that Thomas had pepper spray on his face and reddish welts on the back of his head and reddish marks on his left ear and left side of his neck.
Thomas reported that on his way home from work he saw the van with three children in it and no adult. He stopped and while he was there a short time, a man, identified as Battles, walked up from a nearby home. Thomas told Gabbert that he could smell an odor of alcohol on Battles. Thomas asked Battles for his driver's license, and Thomas requested a deputy be sent to the location.
Battles told Gabbert that he started getting mad and accused Thomas of not being an officer. Battles got into his van and Thomas grabbed Battles' arm and as he pulled Battles from the van, Battles started hitting Thomas in the back of the head and upper back.
Thomas reported that he knocked Battles to the ground, and Battles got back up swinging and tried to get back in the van. Thomas grabbed Battles' arm, but Battled allegedly put Thomas in a headlock. Thomas then got his pepper spray and sprayed Battles.
