By JOSH NEWTON
Staff Writer
TAHLEQUAH —
Prosecutors have formally charged a Tahlequah man they say swung a sword around and threatened to decapitate his girlfriend last month.
Jeffrey Alan Thompson, 37, is charged with domestic assault with a dangerous weapon. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison.
Thompson was arrested in late January after Tahlequah police and Cherokee County sheriff’s deputies were sent to East Allen Road for a domestic disturbance. Tahlequah officers arrived first and detained Thompson after learning he allegedly threatened Linda F. Watson with a sword.
Watson, 32, claimed she was awakened by Thompson, who was holding a sword to her throat and threatening to harm her. Thompson allegedly wanted to have sex with his girlfriend, but became upset and grabbed the sword when she turned him down
Watson said Thompson might have been intoxicated when he brandished the sword. B before authorities arrived, Thompson allegedly hid the sword under the mattress of a 5-year-old child who was in the home.
Thompson was arrested for the assault, and police booked Watson for an outstanding warrant and possession of drug paraphernalia. Watson was charged earlier this month with a misdemeanor count of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
Thompson was released on a $7,000 bond and has pleaded not guilty, court records show.
