A man pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges in the 2023 dragging of a state trooper who stopped him in Brockton, Massachusetts.
The Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office said it recommended 32-year-old Derek Lobo serve three to five years in state prison, but a Brockton Superior Court judge sentenced him to 2 ½ years of jail time at a house of correction, with a year to serve and the rest suspended for two years.
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The Brockton resident pleaded guilty to charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery on a police officer and reckless operation of a motor vehicle for the Sept. 13, 2023, incident on Montello Street.
A Massachusetts State Police trooper stopped Lobo, who took off, dragging him for several yards. The trooper suffered minor injuries.
“I am thankful that this brave state trooper was not more seriously injured,” Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said in a statement Tuesday. “Cases like this remind us all of the potential dangers that our first responders face every day that they put the uniform on and go out to protect us.”
Police released dashcam video of the incident as they searched for Lobo.
Dashcam video shows a driver who had been pulled over dragging a Massachusetts State Police trooper Wednesday in Brockton.
Troopers initially attempted to chase after Lobo, who was allegedly driving 80 mph through busy downtown Brockton, but the pursuit was cancelled, officials said.
The following day, police responded to the Brentwood Avenue address Lobo had given to police. He was not home, but the same vehicle was parked in the driveway. Prosecutors said at the time that suspected fentanyl was found in the car.
Lobo was arrested at a home on Union Street. The same trooper who had been dragged took him into custody, authorities said.
