Incident report sheds more light on incident leading to Rara Thomas' arrest
Georgia wide receiver Rara Thomas‘ arrest early Monday morning was the result of a dorm-room altercation, one loud enough that it was called in by a third party. This according to a University of Georgia Police Department incident report.
Per the report, two officers were called to McWhorter Hall. A female employee directed them to room 422 where an argument had generated a lot of noise. The alleged victim answered the door, advising police that there had been a “verbal argument” but that it had “resolved itself.”
When the officers probed further, the alleged victim claimed that the argument began Sunday evening. It was over the fact that she was following a specific but unidentified male on social media and Thomas was upset.
The alleged victim went to the gym to escape the argument, but it continued through text message and picked right back up when she returned. That’s when the yelling either began or gained volume.
As the alleged victim and Thomas were speaking with different officers, the officer interviewing the victim overheard Thomas make mention of being struck by the female. The report says that after hearing Thomas say that, the female victim commented that the UGA wideout had told her not to mention the bruises that he had given her.
The alleged victim claimed that she tried to get herself out of the situation by leaving before it became physical, but Thomas stood in the doorway and wouldn’t let her. She also says that when she advised that she wanted to call her mother, Thomas took her phone and Apple watch.
She claims that Thomas grabbed he right arm and left a bruise, one that was visible to the arresting officer, with his thumb. Thomas then allegedly pushed her face first into the bed and pushed her again when she tried to get up, causing abrasions to her shins in the process. All of those injuries were visible to the arresting officer.
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The report notes that the officers traded places and when they did, Thomas claimed that the alleged victim choked him and broke a laptop valued at $1,200 by detaching the screen from the keyboard. He claims to have placed the female on the bed softly and once she calmed down, she got off the bed, sat in a chair, and called a friend.
The officer writing the report claims that Thomas’ did not have injuries consistent with his testimony but did have bruising on his forearms. Thomas claims that happened when he walked out of the room with her phone and Apple Watch. At that time they were seen by a group of female students who started asking about the noise. Thomas and the alleged victim then decided it was best to return to the room. Photos were taken of the female’s injuries and the broken laptop.
When interviewed again to reconcile inconsistencies in the stories, the report says that the female stated she and Thomas had lived together in Mississippi and Alabama and that they were planning to live together in Athens as well.
The decision was made to arrest Thomas and that happened at 3 a.m. ET on Monday morning. He was charged with misdemeanor battery and felony false imprisonment. A warrant was obtained and Thomas was booked into the Athens-Clarke County jail at 4:04 a.m. ET. He was later released on $1,850 bond at 12:36 p.m.
