Wilmington officer’s injuries identified as grounds for indictment

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WILMINGTON — A man faces two felony charges stemming from the serious leg injuries suffered by a Wilmington police officer at a Brownberry Drive standoff involving the Clinton County SWAT team in March.

A grand jury indicted Thaddeus Andrew “Teddy” Knapp, 38, of Wilmington on a charge of felonious assault — a first-degree felony (F1) — and with resisting arrest (F4).

The injuries occurred when Wilmington Ptl. Matt Hamilton and other members of the local SWAT team stormed an apartment during a standoff in order to arrest the last suspect who had not yet surrendered to authorities.

As the News Journal previously reported, “Hamilton — wearing a helmet and gas mask, making it difficult to see — and 50 to 60 pounds of extra gear, took a hard fall down the stairs of the second-story apartment.”

Wilmington Police Chief Ron Cravens indicated in March they would pursue charges against Knapp in relation to Hamilton’s injuries because they had to go inside to get Knapp.

The felonious assault charge in the Bill of Indictment alleges Knapp “did knowingly cause serious physical harm to Ptl. Matthew Hamilton of the Wilmington Police Department.”

The resisting arrest charge in the indictment alleges Knapp “did recklessly or by force, resist or interfere with the lawful arrest of himself and during the course of, or, as a result of the resistance or interference, the said Thaddeus A. Knapp recklessly caused physical harm to Ptl. Matthew Hamilton of the Wilmington Police Department, by means of a deadly weapon.”

Hamilton is recovering at home after a total of five-plus hours of surgery. Chief Cravens reported that his officer suffered a spiral fracture of the tibia and fibula of the right leg, plus a broken ankle. Hamilton also sustained a total rupture of his Achilles’ tendon in his left leg, said the chief.

The same grand jury indicted Samuel J. Spencer, 18, of Wilmington with failing to notify authorities of a change in his residence (or change of school or workplace) as required of him as an offender.

The time frame for the alleged non-compliance is from May 31, 2019 through March 27, 2020.

The charge is a third-degree felony.

Also indicted was Rebecca M. Martin, 40, of the Leesburg area. She faces six counts of perjury (all F3s), one count of grand theft of a motor vehicle (F4), and one count of theft from a person in a protected [elderly] class (F2).

The theft from an elderly person charge stems from alleged activity involving parcels valued at $65,000.

The grand theft charge pertains to allegations about a 1999 Mercury automobile.

The fourth person indicted in the most recent session of a Clinton County grand jury was Latasha C. Hughes, 26, of the New Vienna area. She is charged with illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse or prohibited items onto the grounds of a detention facility, as well as with possessing drugs, and failing to appear as ordered by a court.

Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.

Spencer
https://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2020/04/web1_spencer_p.jpgSpencer

Martin
https://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2020/04/web1_martin_p.jpgMartin

Knapp
https://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2020/04/web1_knapp_p.jpgKnapp

By Gary Huffenberger

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