Woman charged with attempted escape from jail
March 25, 2020
After being booked into jail, a pregnant woman from Cherokee allegedly assaulted an officer and tried to escape last Wednesday.
According to court records, Cherokee Police Chief Ryan McNeil was dispatched to the 500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue at 4:46 p.m. on March 18 where a woman was reported to be threatening two men with a knife. When McNeil and Officer Brock Phillips arrived, Sion White and Damon Horne said Shana Thresher, who resides there with White, had pulled a knife and threatened to cut both of them.
The officers located Phillips on a bed covered by a blanket. She was ordered to show her hands and pulled them from under the blanket. When asked about the knife, she pulled the blanket off revealing a folding box cutter with the blade open. McNeil removed the box cutter and ordered Thresher to roll onto her stomach so she could be handcuffed. She refused to do so because she was pregnant.
McNeil ordered her to roll onto her side which she did. While Brock was handcuffing her, she started to sit up and pull away. She was pulled into a standing position and handcuffed. While being escorted from the residence, Thresher told White and Horne they would regret this, according to the affidavit.
Thresher was transported to the Alfalfa County Jail where she remained uncooperative. She allowed jail staff to book her but refused to change out of her personal clothing and into a jail uniform. According to the affidavit, Thresher’s attitude remained defiant and hostile toward officers, and she repeatedly demanded to be released from the jail.
At approximately 5:39 p.m., Alfalfa County Sheriff’s Deputy Loren Nusser was called to the jail for an inmate who had escaped her cell. According to court documents, Thresher had pushed her way past the jailer Erica Hansen in an effort to escape. When Nusser arrived, Thresher was standing at the locked door leading to the hallway.
Nusser tried to talk to Thresher but described her as not thinking and communicating clearly. He ordered her to step away from the door, and she sat down in a chair in front of the door. Nusser handed his firearm to Police Chief McNeil and retrieved the jail keys. He again told Thresher to step away from the door.
Once Nusser began to unlock the door, Thresher retreated to the jailer’s desk and sat in the jailer’s chair. Making sure the door was secured behind him, Nusser tried to reason with Thresher but she would not listen. She picked up the phone saying she wanted to call “Chub” and she had not been given her phone calls. She had not been given phone calls because she refused to finish the book-in process at the time she had been arrested.
Nusser took the receiver from Thresher and hung up the phone. She became angry and allegedly hit him in the chest. Nusser was wearing his vest and was unharmed. He told her not to hit him, and she pulled her arm back to hit him again. He grabbed her right wrist and pulled her to her feet. When Thresher began to resist him, he attempted to place her in an arm bar hold. That didn’t work, and Thresher tried to pull away.
According to the affidavit, Nusser pulled Thresher toward the open area of the booking area. This time she fell to the floor, pulling him after her. As soon as she hit the floor, Nusser pulled Thresher’s arms behind her back. Chief McNeil was then able to get into the booking area to help. Each of the officers grabbed an arm and escorted Thresher back to her cell.
Thresher began screaming and yelling at the officers saying she hated them and would sue them, according to the affidavit. After returning to the booking area, Nusser noticed that the jailer was bleeding from scratches on the left forearm.
Shana Lynn Thresher, 46, of Cherokee, has been charged with assault, battery, or assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a felony, involving the alleged attack on White and Horne. This crime is punishable by imprisonment for up to ten years in the penitentiary or one year in the county jail.
Thresher is also charged with a misdemeanor of resisting an officer. This crime is punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, or a fine of up to $500, or both.
Several charges were filed following the jail altercation. She was charged with three felony counts: (1) attempting to escape from prison other than penitentiary, (2) assault and battery on police officer and (3) assault and battery on corrections personnel. Count one is punishable for up to one year added to original term of imprisonment. Count two is punishable by a fine of up to $500 or imprisonment for up to five years, or both. Count three is punishable by a fine of up to $500 or imprisonment for up to five years, or both.
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