Police say a woman banned from more than one business in Worthington was trespassing when she was arrested in a grocery store parking lot last Saturday night. They also say she gouged with her nails, hit and kicked a WPD officer while scuffling with him and three other officers.

Terasitta Eleanor Joy Thompson, 37, of Switz City, aka Tess Thompson, was arrested and booked in to the Greene County Jail on Saturday, October 13, by Deputy Marshal James T. Harrington of the Worthington Police Department.

At 7:50 p.m., Harrington saw Thompson’s white 2000 Buick Century parked in front of the Country Market in Worthington. Harrington knew that WPD Chief Randy Raney had issued a notification to Thompson a few months ago that she was banned from the property. She had been fired from the store and the owner wanted her banned because she was continuously loitering around the store and harassing employees.

When Thompson exited the store a couple of minutes later, Harrington told her she was trespassing and to turn around and put her hands behind her back but she fled on foot. Harrington said she was apprehended then “escorted” down to the ground when she tried to pull away. She allegedly then kicked his arm.

Harrington reported Thompson continued to struggle with him and he advised dispatch she was fighting him. Backup was dispatched. Then at 7:54 p.m., a former police officer pulled in to the store parking lot and Harrington requested his assistance in getting Thompson in cuffs.

According to Harrington, at some point during the scuffle, Thompson had gouged one of his fingers with her fingernails, had kicked him with the heels of her feet and was uncooperative in getting into the patrol vehicle.

By 8:01 p.m., Deputy Marshal Jordan Allor of the Bloomfield Police Department and Detective Shawn Cullison of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department had both arrived to assist and the officers shackled Thompson’s feet for officer safety reasons.

Once secured in the patrol vehicle, she was transported to jail.

In a probable cause affidavit prepared by Harrington, he says evidence includes photographs and body cam footage taken of the incident.

Harrington later learned from WPD Town Marshal Randy Raney that police had received a call around 2:30 that same afternoon from the owner of another Worthington business reporting that Thompson had come in and allegedly started harassing him after demanding information that was confidential. She was allegedly told to leave several times and didn’t leave until the owner told her he was calling police to have her removed.

Thompson’s bond was set at $6,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. As of Tuesday afternoon, she had not yet posted bond.

When she appears in court for an initial hearing, she will be charged with battery against a public safety official - a Level 6 felony, criminal trespassing - a Class A misdemeanor, and resisting law enforcement - a Class A misdemeanor.

Background

Thompson was arrested in June in the parking lot of another Worthington business. In late August in that case, she entered into a pre-trial diversion agreement. In the pre-trial diversion program, a defendant who doesn’t have a criminal history may have a case dismissed after successfully completing the year-long program. During the program, the defendant must not get into trouble again. A violation could result in the cancellation of the agreement and the defendant would be back in court to face the charges.

The earlier story posted in June on GreeneStreets after the previous incident and arrest is included below:

Switz City woman arrested after harassing Worthington store employees for four days in a row

A Switz City woman accused of harassing employees at a store in Worthington for four days in a row, and refusing to leave store property, was arrested and booked in to jail on a preliminary charge of public intoxication.

Terasitta Eleanor Joy Thompson, 37, was sitting in a white 2000 Buick passenger car parked on the north side of the Dollar General Store, talking on her phone, with the car’s engine running, when Deputy Marshal James T. Harrington of the Worthington Police Department arrived around 9 p.m. on Thursday, June 7.

Officer Harrington was on duty when he received a report about a woman who had harassed Dollar General store employees several times throughout the week, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

The store manager said she came in the store again on Thursday and caused a disturbance by yelling at the manager, the assistant manager and another employee.

Harrington said the manager told him Thompson appeared to be impaired, was having trouble maintaining her balance and refused to leave. The store wanted Thompson removed from the property. They also said she had discarded a bag of her clothing behind the store.

Harrington informed Thompson she had been banned from store property and asked to leave, and that he had received a complaint, which she disputed. He also returned the discarded bag of clothing to her. She allegedly told him the clothing was infested with bedbugs.

A records check revealed Thompson had a valid operator’s license and did not have any outstanding warrants, but Harrington reported her speech seemed slurred, her eyes watery, red and glassy with dilated pupils.

Thompson was advised to contact someone who could remove her car and transport her to a different location.

Harrington then gave her some time to contact someone but when he returned to speak with her, he learned she had called a family member in Ohio, not anyone in the local area. He gave her another opportunity but she failed to take advantage of it.

Thompson was then asked to exit her car for standard field sobriety tests. Harrington said she failed the field tests but passed a portable breath test.

In the details of a probable cause affidavit prepared by Harrington, he said he then learned she had ingested a Schedule IV controlled substance.

Her car was towed and Thompson was transported to the Greene County Sheriff’s Department where she allegedly failed another round of field sobriety testing but agreed to a chemical test at Greene County General Hospital.

Thompson’s bond was set at $500 surety with ten percent allowed. She posted $50 cash and was released on Friday, June 8.

She is scheduled to appear in Greene Superior Court for an initial hearing on July 2 when she will be formally charged with public intoxication, a Class B misdemeanor.