BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Telegraph Staff Writer
STARKE— The State Attorney’s Office has dropped charges against a man accused of resisting an officer and threatening the lawman in May.
William James Ross IV of Starke was arrested by Starke police for assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer.
Ross gained notoriety in 2010 by winning the RuPaul Drag Race in the reality competition’s second season. He performed under the name of Tyra Sanchez.
In a May 17 arrest report, Officer Jay Raulerson wrote that the 35-year-old was involved in a minor traffic crash with no injuries on Southern Villas Drive.
The officer added that he approached Ross’s vehicle after talking to the other party involved in the crash.
“James Ross was clearly upset,” Raulerson wrote. “(He) jumped out of the car and began screaming and cursing at me. I attempted to calm him down by advising him I was here to help to no avail.”
Raulerson added that after he ordered the defendant to put his hands behind his back, Ross threatened to shoot him.
“At this time, since he had not been pat searched for weapons and [sic], I became in fear of my life and advised him that he was under arrest.”
Raulerson wrote that Ross reached into his car, and to prevent the defendant from obtaining a possible weapon, the officer bear-hugged the defendant, pinning him against the car. Raulerson then drive stunned Ross using a taser.
The officer wrote that after releasing the defendant, Ross continued to resist, so he pointed the Taser at the defendant.
“I had not checked James Ross for weapons and did not know if he indeed had a weapon or not,” the officer reported, “I again became in fear that I may get shot, so I deployed my taser…at James Ross, striking him in the upper torso area.”
Raulerson said the taser did not affect the man, who snatched the probes from his body and ran. He was apprehended a short time later on Southern Villas Drive.
Two days after his arrest, Ross posted two $5,000 bonds and was released.
Last week Ross, in costume as Tyra Sanchez, took his beef with Starke police to the streets, rotating between the corners of U.S. 301 and State Road 100, holding a sign reading “Middle Finger Starke PD Oink!”
After the State dropped the charges, he returned to the intersection with another sign proclaiming his innocence.
