Houston resident Corey Tharp was sentenced to three years in the Missouri Department of Corrections system as part of a plea bargain in an Aug. 18 court proceeding in Rolla stemming from an early June assault case.
Tharp, 36, was charged June 6 with felonies of domestic assault, resisting arrest and escape or attempted escape from custody while under arrest for a felony. According to court documents, Circuit Judge John Beger dismissed the assault charge and sentenced Tharp to three years apiece for each of the other charges, to be served concurrently.
The case began when a Houston police officer responded around 9 p.m. June 3 to a 911 call from a woman at Tharp’s residence who said he was angry she has been talking to her former boyfriend. The officer, who reportedly had previous run-ins with Tharp, searched for him and located him behind a dumpster in the Hardee’s parking lot.
The officer reported that due to previous encounters with Tharp, he drew his duty weapon and advised Tharp to come out and get on the ground. The officer said Tharp didn’t comply and instead came toward him in a threatening manner.
The officer wrestled Tharp to the ground, but he resisted being handcuffed.
Another officer arrived, and Tharp continued to resist the officers’ attempts to handcuff him. At that point, the first officer reportedly deployed a taser into Tharp’s back.
Tharp briefly complied, the officer said, but took off running while being escorted to the police car in handcuffs. He was caught after about 20 yards, taken to the Texas County Jail and placed in a restraint chair after continuing to be combative, the officer said.
The incident was Tharp’s second physical confrontation with Houston police. In July 2014, he was charged in a similar incident in which he allegedly assaulted a police officer and fled on foot while being arrested.
The woman reportedly said she had been assaulted but told authorities she didn’t want to pursue charges.