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SALT LAKE CITY — A former star running back for the University of Utah is facing three felony charges in a domestic violence case.
Tavion Shavial Thomas, 23, was charged Friday in 3rd District Court with aggravated kidnapping in the course of committing unlawful detention and two counts of aggravated assault, third-degree felonies.
Thomas is accused of pulling a knife on his live-in girlfriend during an argument in March. The girlfriend said she was going to leave, but Thomas "took her car keys and said she was not going anywhere," according to charging documents.
When she said she was going to call the police, "Thomas, who was still holding the knife, said, 'You'll be dead before the police arrive. I will take your car and drive it all the way to Dayton,'" the charges state.
At that point, the couple went to bed but the woman told police "she did not sleep at all because she was afraid of Thomas as he had the knife laying next to him in the bed," according to the charges.
The next morning, as the woman was preparing to leave for the airport, police say Thomas took her phone and keys again while still holding the knife.
"Thomas refused to give (the woman) her phone unless she allowed him to take her to the airport and share her location with him on her phone," the charges say.
The woman told police Thomas "had been physically abusive to her throughout their relationship" and "had hit her before but had not shown the level of violence exhibited in this matter," the court documents allege. A witness told investigators that Thomas "had been exhibiting possessive and controlling behavior toward the victim, leading up to this incident."
Thomas was arrested Wednesday and remained in the Salt Lake County Jail on Tuesday.
Prosecutors noted that Thomas also has a pending domestic violence case in Bluffdale Justice Court involving another victim. They argue that he should be held in the Salt Lake County Jail without bail pending trial "due to (his) egregious and concerning actions in this matter and the prior history of domestic violence."
His next court hearing is scheduled for April 21. Thomas was also charged in March in Bluffdale Justice Court with electronic communication harassment.
Thomas, who played two seasons at the University of Utah, was preparing for the NFL draft that takes place at the end of April. He tested poorly, however, at the NFL Combine and at Utah's pro day, which hurt his perceived draft stock.
The Dayton, Ohio, native chose to leave the Utes in 2022 to focus on the draft process and to heal what he described as a toe injury.
Domestic violence resources
Help for people in abusive relationships can be found by contacting:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition: Utah's confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic violence hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
- YWCA Women in Jeopardy program: 801-537-8600
Contributing: Josh Furlong
