Neighbor strikes man with baseball bat

A man could face imprisonment for up to 10 years in the penitentiary or one year in the county jail if found guilty of a felony charge of assault, battery, or assault and battery with a dangerous weapon following an altercation involving a baseball bat.

Ronald R. Thomas, 60, was charged July 13 in Sequoyah County District Court and received a $5,500 bond. He is now scheduled for an August 10 arraignment before Associate District Judge Kyle Waters.

Sequoyah County Sheriff‚s deputy Brian Stone reported on July 7 that he, along with deputies Sonny Jasna and Allen Ramey were dispatched to E. Lake View Drive in reference to two men fighting, where one was reportedly armed with a baseball bat.

The reporting party told Stone that his neighbor, Reagan, came to his residence armed with a baseball bat and allegedly assaulted him. The neighbor said he disarmed Thomas and struck him with the bat to defend himself. He claimed he then threw the bat down and went back inside his residence.

A witness told authorities they observed Thomas approach his neighbor and allegedly threaten him with the baseball bat. The witness said the neighbor then shoved Thomas to the ground.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Deputy Choate was on scene prior to Stone‚s arrival and said Thomas approached his neighbor, reportedly to make amends for a previous argument.

Thomas told the deputies he walked to his neighbor‚s to make amends and admitted to taking three shots of whiskey prior to the incident. He said the neighbor allegedly hit him with the bat several times and he didn‚t know where the bat came into play, but it was inside his residence.

Thomas was arrested and taken to the Sequoyah County Detention Center.