Texas Man Sentenced To 70 Years After Spitting On Police Officers
A Texas man was sentenced to 70 years in prison for allegedly spitting at Lubbock police officers.
Larry Pearson, 36, was initially arrested in May 2022 after an unnamed person waved down authorities behind an alleged domestic violence dispute, EverythingLubbock reports.
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Authorities learned that Pearson struck the person multiple times, with the victim having “multiple visible injuries.” Once Larry was apprehended, the man began kicking to break free from the police vehicle. As the officers ordered him to stop, he allegedly spat at them. He continued his behavior, spitting at law enforcement when he arrived at the Lubbock County Detention Center.
On Wednesday (April 12), Pearson’s actions lead to him being found guilty of two counts of harassment of a public servant, with Prosecutor Jessica Gorman asking the jury to “send a message” to the man and the public with his sentencing.
During sentencing, the prosecutor asked the jury to "send a message" to the man and society. https://t.co/OLvn8tn6TW
— KSAT 12 (@ksatnews) April 14, 2023
Prior to his sentencing, the man reportedly committed continuous family violence and multiple instances of aggravated robbery. For those crimes, Pearson faced a minimum of 25 years but was instead handed 70 years for the addition of his harassment of a public servant.
“You’re not going to get 70 years for something like this when you’ve never been in trouble before,” the prosecutor expressed. “If you’re going to live the life of crime, you’re going to do that among other criminals [in prison].”
However, Jim Shaw, Larry Pearson’s defense attorney, argued that his client was merely entangled in a “simple misdemeanor” and that the circumstances had gotten “out of control.”
