Mugshot of Stephen Thomas. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ST. THOMAS — Stephen Thomas found himself on the wrong side of the law on February 5th after allegedly threatening an officer while brandishing a firearm.
While walking out of the Fort Christian parking lot on February 5, a police officer spotted a white Dodge attempting to make a left turn near a stop sign. The driver, Stephen Thomas, pointed two fingers at the officer in a gesture as if he was holding a gun. Thomas drove into the parking lot, parked his vehicle and exited it. Thomas then waved at the officer as if the two of them knew each other, so the officer walked over to greet him.
According to the officer, it seemed as though Thomas was trying to say something to him. When asked if that was the case, he reportedly began threatening the officer as well as his family, while displaying the firearm tucked into his waistband.
The officer, who was unarmed at that time, says he went to the station to retrieve his firearm and returned to the scene to arrest Thomas for possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of ammunition, possession of a firearm within 1000 ft of a school, and brandishing a deadly weapon.
Following his arrest, Thomas informed police that there was another firearm in his vehicle. After searching, detectives say they found a “ghost gun”, which are often built from kits and have no serial numbers or other identifying markings.
In court on Wednesday, a judge ruled that Thomas be allowed to post 15 percent of his $50,000 bail as cash or property to secure bail. He must provide the court with a suitable third party custodian before he can be released.
Thomas is barred from leaving the St. Thomas- St. John District without the court’s written permission and must report to the Office of Probation three times per week. He must abide by a daily curfew of 7 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. Thomas is to have no contact, directly or indirectly with the victim or any of his relatives.
