MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas – A man with a lengthy rap sheet could possibly spend the next three decades behind bars for his latest crime, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.
On Sept. 28, Dominique Johnson, 32, was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment after being found guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and evading with a motor vehicle.
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Details of the case were presented in trial.
According to prosecutors, on the early morning hours of March 14, a trooper with the Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol Division initiated a traffic stop on a Cadillac XTS for speeding.
Unbeknownst to the trooper, Johnson, who was driving the vehicle, had stolen it from a bowling alley about 30 minutes earlier. As the trooper approached the vehicle, Johnson drove away and a high-speed pursuit began.
Johnson evaded the trooper on FM 1488, reaching speeds over 140 mph on Highway 249 before exiting and driving the wrong way on the service road. He then drove into a neighborhood, where he entered a resident’s front yard. The trooper positioned his patrol car to block Johnson’s escape and approached Johnson on foot.
That is when Johnson drove forward, almost striking the trooper, and continued in his getaway attempt. Johnson ending up crashing on the Highway 249 service road, then hopped out and took off running. A helicopter tracked his movements, and DPS and other agencies were able to catch up to him, prosecutors said.
During the punishment phase of the trial, evidence was presented showing Johnson had previously been convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after shooting a man in the back. It was also shown that Johnson had other prior offenses, including forgery, theft, and burglary of a building.
“One of the most dangerous encounters law enforcement can have is on traffic stops, and this defendant exhibited all the dangers associated with those,” Assistant District Attorney Tamara Tyler said. “The defendant not only put the community in danger but also threatened the life of a Montgomery County law enforcement officer. Decades in prison for this behavior is the right and just result.”
District Attorney Brett Ligon praised the work of those who worked the case.
“Some men are committed to behavior marked by stealing and violence. Fortunately, our office and law enforcement in this county are equally committed to holding them accountable,” Ligon said.