KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that an Independence, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for engaging in an altercation with federal law enforcement officers.
Jermaine Arrington, 33, of Independence, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to five years and 11 months in federal prison without parole for impeding or obstructing an officer. The court also sentenced Arrington to a consecutive two years in prison for violating his supervised release, for a total of seven years and 11 months in federal prison without parole.
Arrington pleaded guilty on Nov. 17, 2016. Arrington admitted that, while in custody, he lunged at a deputy marshal. Arrington was tackled by two deputies and taken to the ground. A deputy suffered injuries during the altercation, including a broken thumb.
Arrington was arrested on Jan. 8, 2016, for violating his supervised release after serving a six-year sentence in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Upon arrival at the U.S. Marshals’ detention facility, Arrington’s handcuffs were removed so that he could be searched. Immediately after the handcuffs were removed, Arrington reached inside his shoe and grabbed a clear baggy containing marijuana. He stuffed the baggy into his mouth, began chewing it, and began yelling, “what now?" A deputy directed Arrington to spit the item from his mouth into the trash.
According to court documents, Arrington took a few steps towards the trash and then lunged at the deputy, while clinching his fist. Two deputies took Arrington to the ground, attempting to handcuff him, but he refused to release his hands from under his chest. One deputy struck Arrington in the side with his knee, while the second deputy attempted to remove Arrington’s arms from under his chest area. A third deputy arrived with handcuffs and, after a brief struggle, Arrington was handcuffed and leg restraints applied.
According to court documents, Arrington’s prior convictions include two misdemeanor convictions for aggravated assault, which involved assaulting an officer, and three misdemeanor convictions for simple assault. In addition, there are multiple occasions on record when Arrington resisted arrest, assaulted or hindered law enforcement officers performing their duties. During his arrest in the federal case for which he was under supervised release, Arrington ran from police officers and continued to resist arrest after being tased.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce E. Clark. It was investigated by the U.S. Marshal’s Service.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
