Jacksonville man sentenced to 20 years for assaulting officer

RUSK, Texas (KLTV) - An East Texas man who was involved in a standoff with law enforcement in Cherokee County has been convicted of a felony and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

On Thursday, Eric Dwayne Paulk, 40, was convicted of assault of a peace officer and sentenced to 20 years TDC, according to a release from the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office.

The charge stems from an incident that occurred on or about Aug. 1, 2022. While Law Enforcement was trying to arrest Paulk for an outstanding felony warrant, he assaulted an officer by striking him over the head, the release said.

The jury convicted Paulk after approximately 25 minutes of deliberation, and he then chose the jury to assess his punishment. During the punishment phase, the jury heard testimony indicating Paulk was a convicted felon and had previously committed three other felonies

In accordance with the jury’s verdict, Judge R. Chris Day sentenced Paulk to 20 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Institutional Division and assessed a $5,000 fine.

Related:

• Suspect involved in standoff with Cherokee County law enforcement identified

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