Man convicted twice of fighting with deputies

A Spokane Valley man with a penchant for resisting arrest and the ability to withstand pepper spray, baton blows and Taser shocks succumbed to a jury Friday for the second time in two weeks.

A Superior Court jury convicted John Phillip Jones of second-degree assault and third-degree assault against two sheriff’s deputies while awaiting trial in another case in which he assaulted deputies.

In both cases, the 49-year-old defendant – who is 5-foot-8 and weighs 180 pounds – proved nearly invulnerable to nonlethal techniques used to bring him under control.

The first incident was in October 2004. Jones went to the home of his ex-wife, Terresa R. Jones, in the 25500 block of East Eddy Lane, and found her boyfriend, Santiago “Jim” Torres, was visiting her.

John Jones retrieved a .357-caliber Magnum revolver from his vehicle and threatened to kill Torres and Terresa Jones even though his children were present.

According to court documents, Torres remained in a bedroom and called 911 while John Jones tried to goad him into a fight.

Two deputies later found Jones at his home at 9001 E. Boone Ave. and, with their guns drawn, ordered him to surrender. Jones came out with his fists clenched and advanced on one of the deputies. The deputy holstered his pistol and gave Jones a dose of pepper spray.

Unfazed, Jones invited the deputies to “bring it.” They did, with baton strikes that “only slowed him,” court documents say.

The deputies said Jones again advanced and taunted them: “Is that all you got? Bring it on.”

The officers said they overpowered Jones “only after a lengthy struggle.”

A jury convicted Jones of six of seven charges in that case on Sept. 25: two counts of harassment, two counts of third-degree assault, fourth-degree assault and first-degree burglary. The jury acquitted him of a malicious harassment charge based on ethnic slurs he allegedly directed toward Torres.

Then, on Friday, another jury convicted Jones as charged in a Feb. 6 attack on deputies.

According to court documents, Deputy Jeffrey Thurman saw Jones drive slowly down the middle of Boone and turn into his driveway without signaling. Thurman pulled behind Jones’ pickup, called for backup and observed that Jones appeared to be drunk.

Jones reportedly defied orders to remain in his vehicle and said, “I don’t think so. I’m on private property,” when Thurman told him he was under arrest, the documents state. Jones twice broke away when the deputy tried to restrain him and refused commands to stop, so Thurman shot him in the back with a Taser stun gun.

Tasers are supposed to immobilize a suspect by transmitting a high-voltage jolt of electricity down wires from the gun to darts that are planted in the suspect’s skin. But Jones pulled out the darts and threw the wires back at Thurman while they still had enough voltage to give the deputy a tingle, according to court documents.

Thurman fired again, and Jones once more ripped out the darts. He turned, the documents state, and advanced on Thurman with an obscene invitation to fight.

A third round from the Taser, striking Jones in the chest this time, also had no effect. With Jones now rushing toward him, Thurman tossed his Taser and got out his collapsible baton. Several baton blows also failed to slow Jones’ attack, and the two men wound up exchanging punches, according to court documents.

Thurman said he blasted Jones in the face with pepper spray when Jones moved away, but Jones grabbed a rake and resumed his attack. The deputy said he ducked a rake-handle blow to the head and caught it on his back instead.

With his strength flagging, and suffering the effects of his own pepper spray, Thurman said he feared for his life and tried to draw his pistol. But he tripped first, and Jones fell on top of him. The men were still struggling on the ground when backup deputies arrived.

One of them tried to stop Jones with another Taser shot, but hit Thurman instead, taking him out of the fight.

Five other deputies reported difficulty in finally overpowering Jones, and he managed to kick one of them.

Judge Harold Clarke III presided over both of Jones’ trials, and will sentence him on Oct. 17.