Man facing child, animal cruelty charges after SWAT standoff at Clayton hotel
A SWAT standoff at a hotel in Jonesboro ended peacefully Thursday morning, but police needed the help of Clayton County Animal Control after they discovered a multi-species menagerie inside.
The man suspected of barricading himself inside a room at the American Inn & Suites on Old Dixie Highway, 39-year-old Kendrick Thomas, surrendered after a standoff lasting about an hour and a half, Clayton police spokesman Capt. Gary Flinn said at the scene. Thomas was arrested on multiple charges, and no one involved in the incident was injured.
After Thomas exited the room, a SWAT unit went inside to clear it of any further danger, Flinn said. They found six dogs, two snakes and a turtle, officials said in a news release.
Multiple officers had already been in the area investigating alleged criminal activity at a nearby abandoned motel around 2:30 a.m., police said. One of those officers heard two gunshots from the American Inn & Suites and turned to see a man with a gun walking across the parking lot, authorities said.
When the officer told the man to stop, he “took off running,” Flinn said. The suspect ran back to his hotel room and barricaded himself inside.
The group of officers investigating the abandoned motel “quickly moved to that area,” Flinn said. “Officers went over and surrounded the room. The other rooms were cleared out.”
Flinn said the officers looked at security footage to confirm they were surrounding the correct room and learned that multiple people were inside. After negotiating with the people inside for an hour and a half, a woman and a man carrying a baby came out.
Police could not positively identify the man as the suspect and he would not provide them with any information, leaving officers unable to confirm if the room had been cleared, Flinn said. When the SWAT unit eventually cleared the room, they found it filled with animals but no other people. That allowed police to identify the man as Thomas and arrest him, Flinn said.
Animal Control responded to pick up the animals, but one of the dogs escaped before they arrived. Authorities obtained a search warrant for the room and were able to recover the gun and shell casings, police said.
Thomas is facing multiple counts, including reckless conduct, obstruction, first-degree cruelty to children and cruelty to animals, police said.
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John Spink is a multi-platform photojournalist with the breaking news team. He provides compelling photos, video and audio from breaking news events for the AJC and media partners WSB Channel 2 Action News & WSB Radio
Henri Hollis is a reporter and restaurant critic for the Food & Dining team. Formerly a freelance writer and photographer with a focus on food and restaurants, he joined the AJC full-time in January 2021, first covering breaking news. He is a lifelong Atlantan and a graduate of Georgia Tech.
