Despite the fact he is now married to his victim, a Tellico Plains man still waived several charges against him in General Sessions Court on to the grand jury.

Jason McNellis, 32, Bank Street, is charged with two counts of false imprisonment assault and domestic assault after a May 19 incident in which the Monroe County Sheriff’s SWAT team had to help the Tellico Police bring him into custody.

It was around 11 p.m. on that day when Whitney Firdson went to McNellis’ residence to talk about working out their differences, according to Tellico Plains Detective Tonia Norwood.

The two began to argue and McNellis took Firdson’s 3-month-old daughter into the house with him without the mother’s permission. Firdson told Norwood they started to argue again and McNellis began yelling, kicking and punching the walls. He also slammed the door on Firdson, tried to pull her hair, twisted her arm and scratched her eyelid.

The Sheriff’s Office arrived just before midnight at the Old Yates Store Apartments on Bank Street. Once on scene the Tellico Plains unit, along with backup from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, made contact with McNellis and attempted to talk with him, but he slammed the door to his apartment and law enforcement was unable to open it.

Sheriff’s Supervisor Sgt. Sonny Smart was called to the scene and while attempting to talk McNellis into opening the door, McNellis threatened to “blow off his head with a shotgun.” 

Smart pulled everyone back and established a perimeter.

After several failed negotiation attempts with McNellis by Sheriff Bill Bivens and Chief Bill Isbell, McNellis attempted to move unnoticed from his apartment complex to a vacant one on the other end of the building. Deputy James Wall saw McNellis moving across the roofline and into the other building.

The SWAT team immediately cleared McNellis’ apartment and adjoining rooms and took a position on the rooftop. Sgt. Kyle tactically deployed two canisters of concentrated CS gas into the vacant apartment complex and a very uncomfortable McNellis came to the window and surrendered. McNellis was taken into custody without further incident just before 5 a.m.

An order of protection was issued against McNellis telling him to stay away from Firdson, but the couple told the judge Tuesday they are now married and the order has been lifted.

McNellis is scheduled to appear before the grand jury in August. If he is indicted, he will be arraigned in Criminal Court on Aug. 18. He is currently out of jail on a $4,000 bond.

michael.thomason@advocate anddemocrat.com | 442-4575