Man charged after allegedly threatening woman with gun

Michael Paul Thomas | Bannock County Jail
POCATELLO — A man police say banged on a woman’s backdoor then pointed a gun at her when she answered has been charged with multiple crimes.
Michael Paul Thomas, 42, has been charged with felonies for aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a firearm, along with misdemeanors for possession of a firearm while under the influence and trespassing, court records show.
Pocatello police responded to a call reporting a disturbance at a home on the 500 block of El Rancho Boulevard around 9:30 p.m. Dec. 3, according to an affidavit of probable cause. The caller said a drunk man was yelling and knocking at her back door.
Upon arrival, officers spoke with a man they identified as Thomas. He told the officers he knew the residents at the home and was there to return a dog. He also reprtedly admitted to having been carrying a BB gun during the incident but said he had thrown it into the bushes when officers arrived.
Officers escorted Thomas away from the home so they could speak with the victim, the affidavit says.
The woman told officers she did not know Thomas, but he had been banging on her door. When she answered, the victim told police, Thomas pointed a gun at her face, so she shut the door and called 911.
Officers performed a pat-down search on Thomas and allegedly found him in possession of a 9mm handgun. They also learned he had previously been convicted of aggravated assault on a healthcare worker, which made it illegal for him to carry a firearm.
Thomas was arrested and taken to Bannock County Jail, where he is being held on a $25,000 bond.
Though Thomas has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.
If he is found guilty, Thomas could face more than 10 years in prison.
He is scheduled to appear in court Monday for a preliminary hearing before Magistrate Judge Carol Tippi Jarman.
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Source: eastidahonews.com