A Black man named Larry Pearson, 36, has been sentenced to 70 years in prison for spitting on officers during an arrest in Lubbock, Texas.

Pearson was found guilty on two counts of harassment of a public servant in connection to a May 2022 incident, where he was being arrested for domestic violence.

The victim had flagged down police officers, claiming that Pearson had hit her and was armed with an airsoft gun, which caused visible facial injuries.

As per reports, Prosecutor Jessica Gorman stated that Pearson began spitting at officers after they instructed him to stop kicking the patrol car’s door, and he continued spitting after arriving at a detention center.

Jim Shaw, Pearson’s defense attorney, argued for a less severe sentence and stated that the situation escalated beyond what was expected from a “simple misdemeanor.”

Meanwhile, prosecutor Jessica Gorman urged the jury to “send a message” to Pearson during her closing argument, citing his previous convictions for aggravated robbery and continuous violence against family, which carried a minimum sentence of 25 years.

“You’re not going to get 70 years for something like this when you’ve never been in trouble before,” Gorman told Everything Lubbock.

“If you’re going to live the life of crime, you’re going to do that among other criminals [in prison],” she said during closing arguments.