Man sentenced to 70-year imprisonment for spitting at US policemen
A Texas man was sentenced to 70-years in prison after being found guilty of spitting on Lubbock police officers during an arrest in May.
Jessica Gorman, the prosecutor, said that Larry Pearson, 36 was arrested for domestic violence in Lubbock’s northeast in May 2022 after a victim flagged an officer down.
The victim reported to police that Pearson hit her multiple times and had a firearm. Gorman confirmed that the firearm was an airsoft gun.
The police report stated that the victim suffered “multiple visible wounds” on her face.
Gorman said after Pearson was taken into custody, he was upset the victim was not arrested instead.
He then began kicking the vehicle doors of the officers. Gorman claimed that when the officers opened the vehicle door to tell Gorman to stop, he spit on both officers.
Gorman said Pearson kept spitting after he arrived at the Lubbock County Detention Center.
During closing arguments of the sentencing phase of Pearson’s trial, the prosecutor asked the jury to consider a number that would “send a message” to Pearson and society. She said Pearson had prior convictions of aggravated robbery and continuous family violence.
“You’re not going to get 70 years for something like this when you’ve never been in trouble before,” Gorman told KTLA sister station KLBK/KAMC.
Defense Attorney Jim Shaw argued to the jury that the sentencing was for a “simple misdemeanor” in a circumstance that got “out of control.”
But due to his prior convictions, the minimum sentence Pearson could have received would’ve been 25 years.
“If you’re going to live the life of crime, you’re going to do that among other criminals [in prison],” Gorman said during closing arguments.
