A West Palm Beach man, who police believe may have been under the influence of the drug flakka, was arrested Friday after he allegedly attacked two West Palm Beach police officers, according to an arrest report.
Shawn DeAndre Thomas
Shawn DeAndre Thomas is facing two counts of battery on a police officer and one count each of resisting an officer with violence, disorderly conduct, marijuana possession and obstructing police. Thomas, 40, is being held in the Palm Beach County Jail in lieu of $12,000 bail.
Police responded around 2 a.m. Friday to the McKeen Towers at 311 S. Flagler Drive where they were confronted by Thomas, who was standing on a chair holding a bottle with a clear liquid, the report said.
Thomas hurled expletives and homophobic epithets at the officers and “exhibited characteristics similar to someone on the drug known as flakka,” the report said. Thomas refused to leave the property, then threw the liquid at the officers’ faces.
Thomas allegedly gained control of one officer’s portable radio microphone and ripped it off his body. Two Taser strikes did not cause Thomas to comply, the report said.
Officers eventually subdued Thomas but not before he attempted to bite and spit at them.
Thomas was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital, where his body temperature was measured at 102.4 degrees. Flakka can cause body temperature to rise up to 106 degrees, experts say.
A toxicology report showed that Thomas was under the influence of cocaine and marijuana, the report said. It’s unknown if the hospital tested Thomas for flakka.
