Providence Forge man receives 12-month sentence for slapping deputy during arrest

A Providence Forge man who assaulted a law enforcement officer entered a guilty plea to an amended charge as part of an agreement reached Monday morning in New Kent Circuit Court.

David Maurice Williams, 55, of the 4900 block of Adkins Road, entered a guilty plea to misdemeanor assault and battery (originally assault on a law enforcement officer) as part of the deal.

In a summary of evidence provided by New Kent Commonwealth’s Attorney Scott Renick, on Jan. 29, a New Kent deputy on patrol recognized Williams driving a vehicle. The officer had a history with Williams and knew the defendant did not have a license. The officer attempted to pull Williams over, but the defendant did not stop, driving all the way to his neighbor’s house. The deputy removed Williams from the car as the defendant tried to resist. As the officer attempted to detain the defendant, Williams slapped the deputies’ hand as part of his resisting and a taser was deployed to subdue the defendant. Williams was then taken into custody.

As part of the agreement, Williams received a 12-month sentence and a $1,000 fine.

In an unrelated case, A Norfolk man accepted the terms of a plea agreement to a drug-related charge.

Damarian Sharrod Gross, 20, of the 1600 block of Corpew Avenue, entered a guilty plea to an amended charge of misdemeanor possession with intent to distribute less than one ounce of marijuana (originally felony possession of marijuana with intent to distribute more than one ounce and less than five pounds) as part of the deal. He was found not guilty of a felony failure to appear charge.

In a summary of evidence, a call for service came in from Dennis Trucking on Emmaus Church Road about four individuals wearing hoodies and walking on the property. When a deputy arrived, he noticed that the business was closed and searched for the individuals. The four suspects were discovered at the nearby Pilot Travel Center sitting a silver Sedan. When the officer approached the vehicle, he noticed smoke and the odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle. An investigation discovered that all four of the individuals were under the age of 20, meaning they weren’t allowed to have the substance. After the individuals were taken into custody, a black backpack was located near where Gross was sitting. Inside the bag were clear, individually wrapped bags with a plant-like substance. The items were sent to a forensics lab and returned as marijuana.

Under the plea deal, Gross received a 12-month sentence with all time suspended.