Veteran Held in Pretrial Detention After Injuries from Sheriff’s Office K-9

On January 12, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) deputies transported Thomas Sanford to the Alachua County courthouse for his pretrial detention hearing.

Sanford faces two felony charges: battery with prior battery convictions and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, along with a misdemeanor count of resisting an officer without violence.

The hearing was initially scheduled for January 7.

Public Defender David Cianci acknowledged that he asked for a rescheduling of the hearing because “upon apprehension [Sanford] was bitten by the K-9 and couldn’t be brought over because he was getting treatment for those injuries.”

Sanford was brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair with a cast on his arm.

Assistant State Attorney Pamela Brockway told Judge Robert Groeb their grounds for holding Sanford in pretrial detention are that there is a “substantial probability he poses a threat of harm to the community and committed this offense, which is a dangerous offense, that being aggravated battery.” She said they could also hold him on grounds that he was on probation when he was arrested.

Court records show Sanford is serving an 18-month term of drug offender probation following a conviction for possessing a controlled substance without a prescription.

“We’d note for the record that he currently is on no bond for probation,” added Brockway.

Cianci said that after reading the arrest report and speaking with his client, it appears to him that “this case fits the profile of my client being attacked by three people in the residence that he owned, that they were guests in.”

“It appears as though everyones sort of saying this same sorta story,” and once they learn “who the people are” in Sanford’s house, “it’ll become apparent to hopefully everybody that he is the victim here and that these three people are the ones that are driving the narrative,” Cianci told Groeb.

Cianci said the alleged victims had Sanford kicked out of his own home so they could take it over. Cianci noted that Sanford is an honorably discharged veteran and is in veterans’ housing.

Considering what happened when Sanford was taken into custody, Cianci said, “He was hurt much more than any of the other people that were there that day.”

Cianci said investigators from his office are attempting to verify the events of the incident and contact his landlord.

Cianci said that as they get into the facts of the case, it’ll be shown that Sanford is immune from prosecution because he acted in self-defense.

Cianci said he can’t get around probation violation being a legal basis for pretrial detention but told Groeb he doesn’t want him to find Sanford a danger to the community.

Groeb said he read the police report and that he agrees the “fact-pattern might be subject to some interpretation,” but that there’s still probable cause for aggravated battery and that Sanford would qualify for pretrial detention on the probation violation alone. Groeb granted the state’s motion.

Sanford has prior battery convictions dating back to 2007 and 2008.

Court records show Sontoya Johnson, who is identified as Victim 1 in the arrest report, was granted a withheld adjudication for grand theft in 2023 after reportedly stealing a U-Haul from Kissimmee. A deputy noted that it appeared she was living inside the cargo hold. Johnson reportedly “insisted” on showing deputies the rental payment on her phone, which showed several declined payment notifications. She completed an 18-month probation term a few months ago.

Sanford’s Arrest Report:

According to the arrest report, Deputy Dale Cruse arrived on the scene on January 1 at 7:07 a.m.

Upon his arrival, he had occupants step outside the residence, which included Victim 1, her son Victim 2, Witness 1, along with a baby. Victim 1 told Cruse they’d been staying at the house for three months and that Sanford was inside with a knife.

Cruse noted that the incident is not domestic violence, as Sanford doesn’t have any domestic identifiers with any of the involved parties. He simply allowed the alleged victims and witness to stay at the residence.

Victim 2's Police Interview

Victim 2 told Cruse that he heard Victim 1 and Sanford arguing in the kitchen and that Sanford said he would “kill everyone and won’t be found.” Victim 2 went outside to “stand up” for Victim 1, the arrest report states.

Victim 2 said Sanford grabbed a “machete-sized knife.” Victim 2 said he “grabbed a smaller kitchen knife because he was scared.” Victim 2 said Sanford “hit his leg with the machete” and “bashed” it on his head before throwing him across a table.

Cruse reported that he observed a fresh two-inch laceration somewhere on Victim 2's left side and a fresh scratch on his chest.

According to the arrest report, “Victim 2 said he saw [Sanford] push Victim 1 while [she] was trying to ‘doctor [him] up.' Victim 2 said [Sanford] was not able to get him. Victim 2 said right after this is when LEO showed up and [Sanford] went into his room.”

Victim 1's Police Interview

Victim 1 told Cruse that she and Sanford were arguing in the kitchen when “Victim 2 came out of his bedroom to protect her.” Victim 1 said Victim 2 was “standing behind” Sanford.

The arrest report continues, “Victim 1 said [Sanford] had a machete and [saw] him tapping the side of Victim 2’s leg. Victim 1 said [Sanford] was saying he was ‘whooping’ her son. Victim 1 [saw] Sanford push Victim 2 down. Victim 1 said she went to go help Victim 2 get cleaned up because when he got up, she [saw] blood coming from his forehead.”

Victim 1 said when she went to the bathroom with Victim 2 to get cleaned up, Sanford came in “trying to get to Victim 2” and shoved her trying to get to him. Victim 1 said Sanford was unsuccessful, and right after this, police showed up and he went to his room.

Witness 1's Police Interview

Witness 1 told Cruse she was sleeping in her room and awoke to arguing and screams coming from the kitchen. She said she looked out and saw “someone fly across the table” before hearing Victim 1 say Victim 2 had been stabbed.

Witness 1 said she told everyone to “chill out” and then took the knife from Sanford before he “took off in his room.”

K-9 Detainment

Cruse reported, “[Sanford] was given lawful commands to exit the residence and was told he was under arrest and to step outside. [Sanford] did not come outside when told to. K-9 commands were also given to [Sanford] and [he] still refused. [Sanford] stepped back deeper within the residence on multiple occasions after he acknowledged law enforcement commands that he was under arrest. [Sanford] was ultimately detained utilizing an ACSO K-9 due to his refusal to obey commands.”