McDavid Man Charged With Striking Deputy With Truck, Multiple Felonies

December 14, 2012

An Escambia County deputy is recovering and a McDavid man is behind bars following an incident in which an arrest attempt ended with the deputy being struck by a truck.

Senior Deputy Rudy Brown was on routine patrol when he stopped to check on the BP gas station in Davisville last Friday morning. When he entered the store, he recognized Yancey James Thompson who had felony warrants and a revoked driver’s license. Thompson fled the store in a blue Ford truck at a high rate of speed. Brown attempted unsuccessfully to follow Thompson, and later discovered that the pickup had been abandoned back behind the gas station.

Later, Brown was on patrol in Walnut Hill when he stopped at Mike’s Ag Air on Highway 97 where he observed Thompson. He approached Thompson, called him by name and told him he was under arrest for three active warrants. Thompson replied, “I ain’t going back to jail,” according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report. Thompson then moved toward a white Chevrolet dually truck that was idling nearby.

Thompson got into the vehicle at about the same time Brown arrived at the truck door, the report states. Brown again told Thompson he was under arrest, opened the driver’s door and took hold of the steering wheel with his left hand. Thompson, the report states, again said stated was not going back to jail.

He then floored the accelerator in the truck, causing the back tires to spin and started to drag the deputy toward a field. Brown let go of the vehicle and attempted to get away, but he was struck by the the rear of the dually truck, injuring his back.

Thompson fled the area at a high rate of speed and eluded capture from responding backup deputies.

Wednesday, Thompson surrendered at the Escambia County Jail on charges of aggravated battery on a police officer, resisting an officer with violence, driving while license suspended as a habitual offender and failure to appear for a a felony offense. He is also charged with withholding child support, and violating probation on charges of possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon, destroying evidence, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and resisting arrest without violence.

He remained in the Escambia County Jail Friday morning without bond.

Senior Deputy Rudy Brown is continuing to recover at home from his injuries and is expected to return to work soon, Sgt. Mike Ward, spokesman for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, said late Thursday afternoon.

Pictured top: Yancey James Thompson. Pictured below: Senior Deputy Rudy Brown (left)  is presented a a Life Saving Medal last year by Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.

Comments

43 Responses to “McDavid Man Charged With Striking Deputy With Truck, Multiple Felonies”

  1. kitkat on December 16th, 2012 4:32 pm

    Why r u defending this man that could have killed a man cuz he didnt want to do the time for crimes he committed. The guy that killed all those innocent people in Conneticut probably needf help, but it dont make the crime any less than what it is. had this man been black, he yal would have already had him tried and convicted. he made a choice. Deal with it.

  2. David Huie Green on December 16th, 2012 3:43 pm

    CONCERNING:
    ” He is a good man who did bad things and made bad choices”

    So you disagree with the thought that you are what you do and you do what you are?

    David for good people doing good things

  3. Dee on December 16th, 2012 10:57 am

    Yes Yancey was so wrong and has been for a long time. He loved his kids and if he was such a deadbeat dad why was Trent allowed to spend the weekends with his dad? Yes, Yancey did a lot wrong but he also did have a lot of good in him. Children loved him and he loved them in return. He would give anyone his last dollar. He is a good man who did bad things and made bad choices. No he did not expect the officer to jump in a moving vehicle and he was stupid to do that. I know he was a respected officer but he did something stupid as well. Another case of a good man doing something stupid. Yancey needs to serve his time but he needs support not criticism. For all you Christians out there pray for Yancey don’t condem him give him time but also give him drug and alcohol help.

  4. bad/good man on December 15th, 2012 2:22 pm

    Psalm 14:3 There is none that doeth good, no, not one.
    It takes Jesus to change the equation.

  5. Aunt May on December 15th, 2012 2:21 pm

    First let me say we all wish Officer Brown a speedy recovery.Please everyone before you make comments remember there are 3 beautiful, intelligent innocent children that see these comments.Yancey 20 years ago,hard working, started his own buisness, started a family and was this good man everyone talks about.Enter drugs.Drugs take down people in all walks of life,from millionaires to the poor.Everyone take a good look around at all of your family before making comments.As a very tight family we will take care of the children.Trent you are right to love and support your father.

  6. 86 on December 15th, 2012 1:19 pm

    Thank you Officer Brown for holding back what you could have done to Mr. Thompson. I hope you have a speedy recovery.
    For everyone else…friends, relatives, customers or haters of Mr. Thompson, I hope before you defend or accuse him you get the facts straight before posting. Look up his criminal background on Escambia, Santa Rosa and Baldwin county clerk of court first. At least know whom your defending or accussing. All my “opinions” are after looking at his background is he CLEARLY has no respect for the law “not just bad luck”. I do not know how long he hasn’t paid child support so I will not call him a dead beat “yet”. He seems to have a good heart “per some of you”. Teachers and friends have been giving “positive” advise to his son Trent but he doesn’t want to hear it. Trent loves his dad but has a probation officer of his own. I hope he turns his life around before its too late but he has to want to not because we told him too. Not judging no one is perfect. Just hoping something positive can happen for Trent.

  7. mom on December 15th, 2012 9:23 am

    Yancy put a well in our yard. He was honest and fair and a hard worker. He made bad choices that he is going to have to live with and pay the consequences. As for trent, leave him alone, this is devastating for him. He will deal with it in his own time. I do hope he finishes school. Almost finished! I am rooting for you Trent. This would make your dad proud.

  8. Mike on December 15th, 2012 6:48 am

    I’ve never seen so many people defend what seems to be a hardened criminal. He should be thanking the good Lord above that he didn’t get shot.

    Thanks Deputy Brown and the rest of the Sheriff’s Dept for the job you do.

  9. SHO-NUFF on December 15th, 2012 12:47 am

    Prayers for Officer Rudy also.
    He could of just as well shot and killed Yancey as he did get run over. I hope this fine Officer recovers and continues to do a great job serving escambia county!

  10. SHO-NUFF on December 15th, 2012 12:39 am

    Yancey would show up at 2 in the morning if the well went dry, he would fix it or drill another one if that’s what it took. As the people have said, he had a heart of gold and would help anyone, anyway he knew how.
    Alcohol, and pills were the Monkey on his back he could never shake. Folks that know him. know what I am talking about. He is a genuine, give the shirt off his back kind of Guy, but that does not make him above the law.

    He screwed up and will have to reap what he sowed.

    I hope he lives long enough to get out of jail alive, and hope all the demons are gone if he does.

    I usually don’t support an Outlaw, but every time I saw the Man, he had a smile on his face, was covered in drillers mud, and asked if I needed anything.

    Hope the good Lord will see him through the hard times…

  11. trent on December 15th, 2012 12:05 am

    i dont need a counseler nothing i didnt expect he was wanted for like a year thats the last thing i need just someone to make me mad

  12. jcellops on December 14th, 2012 11:37 pm

    trent- your teacher is 100% right- in everything that she said….your counselors at school can help you deal with this too…dont give up. :)

  13. Your teacher on December 14th, 2012 10:27 pm

    Trent ~
    What has taken place is beyond your control and something you just have to accept. And people are going to say things here that you’re not going to like. Let it go.
    The best thing for you to do is stay in school so that there are more options open to you as an adult. You have made it through 11 years of school, and you only have 2 1/2 left. You’re passing my class too, but you will only do so by showing up for finals next week. I think your dad would want you to finish too. I expect to see you in your desk Monday.

  14. me on December 14th, 2012 9:55 pm

    I dont think any of the comments below say let him go unpunished im sure they all agree he has to pay for his mistakes. Some people who think they are all that do not realize really good people make mistakes we are all gods children some are able to get by trouble free others not but guess what Jesus loves you all the same, hate the sin not the sinner. There is not, one person who has not made a mistake at some point no matter how small it was still a mistake. I dont know this man but i do know first hand what its like to be a good person and make a very poor decision and pay for it.

  15. Willie on December 14th, 2012 9:45 pm

    Good job Officer Brown you did your job and have regained some of my confidence in the ECSO. I hope for a speedy recovery for you.

    I’ve known Yancey a long time. A good man.. I really wouldn’t say he was.

    A good hearted man is more like it. I know that he does love his kids although his actions (the withholding of child support) don’t always show it. His heart is in the right place. He has made bad decisions repetitively which is evident from his record.

    Sucks that he didn’t turn himself in before it escalated to the point of Officer Brown being hurt.

    I only hope that during this break from society Yancey has time to “clean up” and think about the things that should be important to him and leave the drinking and drugs behind him.

  16. hellbilly on December 14th, 2012 8:21 pm

    i agree with dee. but imo yancey was a great guy but it is what it is. he broke the law and he needed to man up and deal with it. and officer rudy is one of the greatest officers the sheriffs dept has and we are fortunate to have him in our area. thank you rudy for the great work and yancey i hope next time you get it right.

  17. trent on December 14th, 2012 8:14 pm

    yancey is a good man as many many people know just cause you have multiple run ins with tthe law doesnt mean your not a good person if you do not know my dad plz dont judge him

  18. Sandra on December 14th, 2012 7:49 pm

    Anybody who would characterize this man’s blatant disregard for the law as having bad luck has a few screws loose. Bad luck is having a flat tire when you have to be somewhere in a hurry. Bad luck is spilling the bleach on your new pair of jeans. Bad luck is answering the phone and the drawn out ensuing conversation causes you to let dinner burn. What this man has done is called having Bad character, Bad rearing or Bad education.

  19. REALLY? on December 14th, 2012 7:29 pm

    “He is a good man.” HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
    What a joke! Look at his arrest record/charges. He is another criminal that needs to go away for a long time. Good job Rudy. Get well soon.

  20. Miranda on December 14th, 2012 7:28 pm

    We all know what he did wasn’t right. But its also is not right of you to judge him. Most of you don’t know the first thing about this man, you don’t know his story. You have no idea what he has been through and what he goes through with each day. I knew him personally.. he is a good man regardless of what you know it all’s think. He worked everyday nonstop and helped anyone who asked…he didnt even have to know you. Being judgemental is the worst thing you could ever do, people are so clueless and ignorant these days…. its such a shame. The moral of this is, stop talking bad about someone and judging them when you don’t have the first clue of who or what your talking about……

  21. Jack on December 14th, 2012 6:20 pm

    Well, as long as he didn’t mean any harm, shucks. Do you get “do overs” when you assault a cop?

  22. friend on December 14th, 2012 5:51 pm

    There is most people you cant trust but he is the one can be trusted most people dont think so but the reason for that is they dont know him. If you would know him you would not talk about him like the ways yall are doing. This man was trying to better his life but other people try to ruin it for him.

  23. David Huie Green on December 14th, 2012 5:32 pm

    REGARDING:
    “he is a really good man that needs to get this behind him so he continue his life.”

    His life goes on but down a strange path for a “really good man”. I’m assuming you’re saying the previous comment was a lie when it said “Drinking, drugs, stealing and fighting was all that seemed to matter to him. He has a daughter and a son that hasn’t seen child support since I don’t know when, had to watch their dad go in and out of jail and be embarrassed by their schoolmates. “

    Surely at least the “embarrassed” part was accurate.

    If the rest was NOT a lie, I fail to understand how such actions are the actions of a “really good man”. Should everybody who wants to be a really good man do such things?

    David for really good men

  24. ariel on December 14th, 2012 4:18 pm

    Um he isn’t a dead beat dad. If you don’t know him don’t judge him he is a really good man that needs to get this behind him so he continue his life.

  25. 1989 on December 14th, 2012 2:24 pm

    Most of us who knew him know this all started for him at a young age with who he chose to hang with. So many times he could have owned up to his mistakes “especially when he became a father” and become the man he should be to his family but…he didn’t. Drinking, drugs, stealing and fighting was all that seemed to matter to him. He has a daughter and a son that hasn’t seen child support since I don’t know when, had to watch their dad go in and out of jail and be embarrassed by their schoolmates. His daughter has a chance at becoming something great and hasn’t let all this ruin her life. Trent, I have no doubt you love your dad. But reading posts from you and your friends about “no jail can hold him, ya’ll be hitting the streets again soon” is just sad. Love your dad but walk a different path.

  26. Danny Hall on December 14th, 2012 1:58 pm

    I can’t believe these comments ! “Gee , he’s such a good man”. Wow what planet did these peope come from ? He made his bed , now let him sleep in it ! Man up , you do the crime – you do the time ! (Cross Bar Hotel , Here I Come)…

  27. Russ on December 14th, 2012 1:41 pm

    My thoughts and prayergo out to Officer Brown may he have a speedy recovery. Now if you don’t know Yancey don’t judge him by what u are reading. The Good Lord says in the bible not to judge man.

  28. SpoonChampion on December 14th, 2012 12:57 pm

    I hope a speedy recovery for you, Officer Brown. Thank you for your service.

  29. Kristie King on December 14th, 2012 12:44 pm

    Yes I have know Yancey forever…we went to school together…but Yancey has a heart of gold and would give you the shirt off his back…I was thinking the exact same thing about the dukes of hazard sequel…cause yes that is Yancey to the core!!! Gonna miss you fancy Yancey…Love you man!!!!

  30. Molino Mom on December 14th, 2012 12:42 pm

    Good Work Officer Brown, hoping you have a speedy recovery. By the looks of his rap sheet, you took someone off the street that needed to be locked up. For those of you who say Thompson is a good man, why don’t all of you get together and pay his child support for him. And while you’re at it, buy his drugs and gas for his truck to which he does not have a license to drive. We all have choices to make, unfortunately for him and his family, he makes poor ones.
    I would say, it’s a good thing he’s not out on the street.

  31. trent on December 14th, 2012 12:32 pm

    there are more post on here about mr thompson because people know he really is a good man. he dont mind payin the price thats why he turned himself in hes not a thug he acctually has a job and works 24-7.

  32. witness on December 14th, 2012 12:16 pm

    yancey is a good man with some problems he had no entintions of running over officer brown. he was just trying to get away. he had work to finish before he turned himself in.

  33. Bobby on December 14th, 2012 12:11 pm

    That is the screwed up world that we live in. There are more posts on here sympothizing with a thug/felon than a deputy sheriff who got hurt protecting you and everyone else from him. I can assure you, for every good thing that Thompson did for you, he did something bad to someone else. Don’t be blinded by kindness or crooks will get the drop on you everytime.

  34. trent on December 14th, 2012 12:07 pm

    yancey is my dad he is a good man with some problems he didnt mean for any of this to happen. he is a hard working man with some bad luck.

  35. mick on December 14th, 2012 11:45 am

    A good man with problems? Seems he’s a convicted felon, a deadbeat dad, and a habitual offender with no respect for the law…quit trying to sugar coat this situation, the only smart thing he did was turn himself in…time to pay the price, but not in jail…in prison, give him a few years to get his head right!

  36. unknown on December 14th, 2012 11:25 am

    I have known Yancey for a long time and he is a good man, he just seems to have had alot of bad luck and problems for a long time now. He would not hurt anyone intentionally, just has a lot of demons in his closet and hopefully this will be the beginning of him being able to get his life back together! Praying for all involved!!

  37. Rod&Frankie on December 14th, 2012 10:08 am

    We are praying you are ok Rudy.

  38. bill on December 14th, 2012 9:39 am

    ive known yancey and his son for a while. yancey has always had trouble with the police but hes a good man with problems he needed to take care of. he did not intented on this happening….thats why he turned himself in.

  39. Ben Thar on December 14th, 2012 9:24 am

    Sounds like Yancy’s just auditioning for a Dukes of Hazzard sequel.

    Just’a good ol’ boy
    Never meanin’ no harm.
    Beats all you never saw
    Been in trouble with the law
    Since the day he was born

  40. dee from the bp on December 14th, 2012 6:32 am

    i am glad that this ended the way that it did, i know both the officer and yancey, and am kinda fond of them both, i was concerned yancey was gonna end up getting killed, or hurt any other people in the process! officer brown is a great police officer, and i knew it wouldnt be long….wish yancey coulda fixed all of this before it got so very far outta hand!

  41. Eddie on December 14th, 2012 6:31 am

    Good job, praying for a speedy recovery, Rudy.

  42. Keith on December 14th, 2012 4:35 am

    Well I guess this time he will be staying in jail alot longer.

  43. 429SCJ on December 14th, 2012 12:46 am

    Thank the Lord that people such as Mr Thompson represent a small percentage of the population.

    Great work! Officer Brown, hope you recover soon and fully.