A defendant was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of felony obstruction in Whitfield Superior Court on Tuesday, Dec. 12.
Rodney Summers, 36, was initially charged with two counts of felony obstruction and one count of riot in a penal institution.
As part of the negotiated plea deal, the State agreed to drop the remaining two charges against the defendant.
According to Superior Court documents, Summers grabbed the leg of a Whitfield County Jail officer and caused “her to fall onto her back.”
Summers was represented by public defender Carter Thomas during Tuesday’s proceedings.
Conasauga Judicial Circuit Assistant District Attorney Mark Higgins said the maximum sentence for the offense is five years.
“Mr. Summers was in the Whitfield County Jail, was refusing to lockdown after being given verbal commands to do so,” Higgins told the court. “He resisted with violence … by attempting to gain control of her Taser.”
Summers will receive credit for time served in pretrial custody dating back to Feb. 22, 2022.
Higgins said the sentence will run concurrent with any other sentences Summers is serving.
“That’s the reason for giving him credit from Feb. 22,” he said.