Man charged after making death threats, driving into wall of business

Samuel Keith Ellison, 58, of Theodosia, is charged with felony harassment, property damage, armed criminal action and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage exceeding $1,000, as well as a misdemeanor charge of operating a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner, involving an accident. 

He was arrested and arraigned Aug. 28. He was granted supervised bond release the next day by Associate Judge Raymond Gross. Defense attorney Christena Coleman is representing Ellison. Ozark County Prosecuting Attorney Lee Pipkins is representing the state. He is scheduled to return to court at 10 a.m. today, Sept. 4, for a criminal setting. 

According to the probable cause statement, prepared by Ozark County Deputy Josh Sherman, at 8:41 p.m. Aug. 24, Ellison contacted the Ozark County Sheriff’s Department to report that he was in possession of what he thought were drugs that had been left at his residence by a man who used them there after a social gathering the night before. Ellison said he wanted the drugs to be removed by the officers, and he also believed someone at the party took the keys to his house and safe. Sherman and fellow Deputy Gannon Moss responded to Ellison’s residence in Theodosia to discuss the incident in person.

Ellison’s initial report

The report says that the officers’ contact with Ellison was recorded with body camera footage, which showed Ellison telling the officers he and a few friends were present at a party the night before at his house.

Ellison said he had a “social arrangement” with a woman he’d met at a local bar, which involved him paying her a significant amount of money to “turn heads” when he arrived, as well as to expose her breasts. Ellison reportedly told the officers that he was showing off several items of significant value including guns and vehicles that night. One of the vehicles was a silver and white GMC Denali that was parked outside the residence when the officers arrived. 

He said when he arrived, a few friends were doing drugs off an ice cream scoop. At some point during the night, Ellison said he got upset because someone had stolen his keys to his house and gun safe, and he told everyone to leave. 

Ellison said he then went to the individual’s home who he believed had taken the keys. He beat on the door, the report said, telling him they were going to have a confrontation if the man didn’t come to the door. Ellison reportedly said he wanted his keys back and then for the victim to leave the county due to drug-related activity.

An encounter at the bar

At 12:36 a.m., just after midnight, the day Ellison spoke with the police about the drugs at his house, the Ozark County Sheriff’s Department dispatch office received a call from someone at the bar Ellison had mentioned before. It was reported by bar employees that Ellison had sped into the business’s gravel parking lot, spinning gravel around while doing a donut. The caller said Ellison then backed into various kitchen equipment and into the bar’s exterior wall before leaving the scene. 

The officers responded to the scene of the bar, where the report says they met two witnesses who said they saw what transpired. Both witnesses said they were outside conducting closing duties at the bar when they heard a loud vehicle approach the parking lot and recognized the silver and white Denali as the one Ellison had driven to the bar and restaurant before. 

According to the report, they said Ellison came into the parking lot at a high rate of speed, spun around in the parking lot and then backed into kitchen equipment sitting outside. The individuals showed the equipment damage to Deputy Moss. After that, they said Ellison backed into the side of the building toward the far end, away from the businesses’ entrance. The report says that tire marks in the gravel show a track mark for a vehicle that went into the building and spun out from that position out of the property. The report notes that the bar does not have security cameras, so the witness reports were recorded on body camera footage and various items were photographed for evidence. After they collected the evidence, Sherman advised a dispatcher that the officers were leaving the scene.

Ellison calls back in

“Myself and Deputy Moss left the scene and were heading west on US Highway 160 when dispatch [contacted us and said] Sam Ellison made contact via telephone [saying] that the deputies better get back to [the bar] before he ‘puts his car through the building’ and then disconnected the call before additional information could be collected by dispatch,” Sherman’s report says. “We were advised of the communication and reversed direction to head back to [the bar]. Just prior to arrival, one of the prior witnesses called dispatch and advised Sam had returned and was in the bank parking lot across the street [from the bar].”

The officers arrived and immediately noticed a truck parked behind the bank, out of sight, with its headlights off. “The truck approached us and we were able to identify Sam Ellison as the driver... He again voluntarily relayed he backed into the building and that he was upset and wanted to handle his business on his terms. I advised him he was going to jail for property damage, leaving the scene of an accident and additional charges,” Sherman wrote. 

The report shows that the damage reportedly left by Ellison exceeds $1,000 and includes an exterior wall of the bar, numerous kitchen tables and equipment specific to an ice cream fridge and cooler items. 

Death threats

According to the report, on Aug. 25, the officers also interviewed another witness, the man who Ellison said stole his keys. The witness told officers that earlier in the night of the incident Sam had arrived at his residence, yelling at him to come to the door. 

He said Sam had sent text messages and voicemails that were threatening in nature, reporting that he planned to drive his truck through the man’s house and bedroom if he didn’t answer his phone. He also said he threatened to put a “hit” out on him, offering cash to someone to kill him, as well as threatening to kill the man himself once he saw him. The man told officers he wanted to pursue harassment charges against Ellison for the threatening actions and messages. He said Ellison was no longer allowed on his property.