A Hall County man received a 15-year prison sentence for dragging two Gainesville police officers with his vehicle during a traffic stop.
Fabian Mata Garcia pleaded guilty to felony obstruction of an officer in a negotiated deal Monday, Hall County District Attorney Lee Darragh said. He will be on probation for 10 years after his prison term ends.
MORE: 2 officers dragged behind car fleeing from traffic stop
He also must attend two addiction recovery meetings or an equivalent per week for 10 years and go through mental health treatment and counseling while in prison, Darragh said.
Gainesville officers said they stopped an Acura Integra about 8:30 p.m. July 7 for making an illegal U-turn and because the people inside weren’t wearing seat belts. They were conducting a search when one of the passengers jumped into the driver’s seat.
The officers, Cory Cummings and Justin Seabolt, were still partially inside the car as the driver attempted to get away, according to a police report.
“Both officers were pulled while the vehicle was in motion and they were placed in reasonable apprehension of receiving a serious injury or death,” a recording officer said in the report.
The low-speed chase ended two miles away, police said.
It’s not clear how far the officers were dragged. They were not seriously injured, Sgt. Kevin Holbrook said.
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