Man Disrupts Kids Concert, Challenges Principal to a Fight, and Injures Officers, Police Say

A man from Georgia is facing six criminal charges after police say he disrupted a choir concert at and fought with the Shakopee police officers who arrested him.

Billy Jack Melton, 34, is charged with three felonies including one count of attempting to disarm an officer and two counts of fourth-degree assault on an officer. He’s also charged with three gross misdemeanors: fourth-degree assault, driving while intoxicated, and driving while intoxicated – refusing to submit to a breath or other tests.

Police were called to the high school at 6:38 p.m. May 24 for an intoxicated male who refused to leave even after he was repeatedly asked to do so by staff and  Principal John Jacobson, according to the criminal complaint.

Melton smelled like alcohol, staff said, and they told police he was unruly, uncooperative and going into areas of the school where he wasn’t allowed. He allegedly got up to videotape some of the concert and got upset when staff asked him to leave.

Melton eventually went into the parking lot, where he reportedly took off his shirt and challenged Jacobson to a fight.

Melton was also with a 5-year-old child and a woman who was trying to get him to leave. Reports say Melton got into a vehicle with them and drove in reverse. Upon seeing a police officer, he jumped out and got into the passenger’s seat, documents said. When a police officer asked him to get out of the car, he said no. When an officer tried to assist him out of the vehicle, documents said Melton took a swing at the officer with a closed fist. At that point, officers told Melton he was under arrest and he resisted, swinging his arms around wildly and pushing officers. One officer was slammed into a car by Melton, docments said, and another was thrown backward, striking her shoulder and causing pain.

The officer who was slammed into a vehicle was then rushed by Melton and pushed backward causing him to fall to the ground. Melton got on top of the officer and the struggle continued until the officer was able to get out from under Melton. At that point, documents say Melton attempted to grab the officer’s gun, but the officer used his forearm to strike Melton in the head and stop the gun grab. 

Between them, the three officers involved suffered back pain, shoulder pain, abrasions and scratches.

Melton remains in Scott County jail on $25,000 bail with an initial appearance set for June 15. His criminal history in Georgia includes convictions for controlled substance, property damage and aggravated assault.