An Oklahoma man is accused of targeting homeless people in a trio of vicious attacks — including a fatal hit-and-run.
Jeremy Thacker, 40, was busted Tuesday on complaints of first-degree murder in the death of a vagrant who was run over by a pickup as he slept under an overpass, Tulsa World reported.
“There’s no way this could have been an accident,” Tulsa Police Sgt. Stephen Florea said.
Police said two hit-and-run accidents “deliberately” targeted homeless people and that damage to Thacker’s white pickup truck matched the incidents.
On Monday morning, Thacker allegedly circled the overpass a couple of times before coming back, driving down the sidewalk and hitting three sleeping people, killing 46-year-old Shawn Birdo.
“It all happened so fast I was stunned to wake up that way,” said James Russel, one of the vagrants injured in the attack. “I’m so glad to be ok. A lot of people like this are out here. When you’re homeless what can you do? Where can you go?”
Later that day, the demented driver allegedly hit two people outside a QuickTrip convenience store, sending one woman to the hospital after running over her legs, authorities said.
He is also accused of going to the same convenience store and hitting a man sleeping on a bench with a metal pipe.
Thacker is being held without bond, and also faces five related counts of aggravated assault.



