GRIMES COUNTY, Texas – A man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for spitting on a Navasota police officer.
The Grimes County District Attorney’s Office says 51-year-old Jimmie Lee Peavy, Jr. pled guilty to Harassment of a Public Servant on Tuesday.
The Navasota Police Department originally responded to a disturbance in progress on November 30, 2023. The incident occurred at the Stripes convenience store located at Highway 105 East and Highway 6. The reporting party told law enforcement that Peavy and another man were fighting in the parking lot. Officers arrived and made contact with Peavy, who was found to be intoxicated.
The D.A.’s Office says Peavy was placed in custody for public intoxication, but then started showing signs of aggression toward one of the officers on scene. After being placed under arrest, Peavy made threats against the officer. He spit on and kicked the officer inside of the Grimes County Jail during the intake process. Peavy was charged with Retaliation, Harassment of a Public Servant, and Assault on a Public Servant.
On Tuesday, December 14, 2024, a jury panel was summoned to hear the case against Peavy. After a jury was selected, visiting District Judge J.D. Langley heard a motion to suppress filed by the defense. After hearing evidence and argument by both the state and defense, Judge Langley found the arrest was not unlawful and denied the motion.
Following the hearing, Peavy pled guilty to Harassment of a Public Servant, a third-degree felony. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison in a plea agreement made by District Attorney Andria Bender.
The D.A.’s Office says Peavy faced a habitual offender punishment range due to his prior felony convictions. He will remain in Grimes County Jail custody until he is transferred to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.